


New Beginnings

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A/B/O related Stigma, Adashi at the beginning of the fic, Alpha Keith (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anxiety, Car Sex, Cesarean Section, Depictions of labor, Depression, Domestic Fluff, Estrangement, Family Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Hospitals, Intersex, Knotting, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Meet-Cute, Minor Character Death, Minor Shurtis, Minor mentions of relationships, Minor shendak, Minor shiverson, Mpreg, Omega Shiro (Voltron), One Night Stands, Oral Sex, Parenthood, Past Adashi - Freeform, Pregnancy, Pregnancy complications, Pregnant Sex, Re-Mating, Slut Shaming, Vomiting, Widowed, mentions of adashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2019-10-31 15:42:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17852420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Shiro had everything he thought he'd never have. He had a successful job, the perfect mate, and now he had a baby on the way. But after his husband was ripped from him all too soon, everything changed. He knew he didn't need an Alpha to help him properly raise his child, but he couldn't help but fruitlessly search for one.Keith wasn't a conventional Alpha and knew most Omegas didn't find him appealing for mating. However, he met a certain pregnant doctor by chance and quickly developed a strong urge to protect and provide for him and his unborn child. He never thought he'd have a mate let alone a family, but after meeting Shiro, everything changed.





	1. Shiro

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this fic since September! At this point, it's nearly finished, so I wanted to start posting it! The updates are gonna be sporadic, and don't be surprised if I share more than one in one day. In fact, I'll be posting the first two.
> 
> So, the story here is that Shiro was first mated with Adam, and he gets pregnant with his baby. Even though he ends up being widowed, Shiro does deeply miss Adam and grieves over him. So although Adashi isn't the main focus, it does play a decent role in the fic. Thus why I tagged that relationship.
> 
> If you liked the last pregnancy fic I did with Omega Keith, I hope you'll like this one too. This has been an incredible project to work on, and I can't wait to share it! Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

_How did he get here?_

_Being_ born an Omega, Takashi Shirogane had to go through _great_ lengths to prove that he was capable for the career path he wanted. He was a successful combat soldier despite his Dynamic, and he hoped that his contributions to the military had inspired other Omegas to try that as well. And every other interview for an article because of this accomplishment asked him the same question every time.

_“How do you manage to go through fighting in war without being distracted by your heats?”_

The first time he was asked that, he was a bit offended, but now he could give them a cool and collected answer. And that answer was always, “Suppressants.”

Jokes aside, he was proud of how far he’d come. And he made many Alpha friends along the way. Although he had to admit that proving himself to be worthy of their comradery was something that he could live without, now that he’d reached this stage of his life, he was proud of himself. However, he’d realized a bit too suddenly that life was never going to continue panning out this way.

The last thing he remembered before waking up in a hospital bed was an explosion. The accident that happened during battle cost him an arm, and he had to admit that it was hard to bounce back from that. He continued to prove to everyone that he was strong and refused to give up. And as he went through this newest stage in his life, he found that he had one person that was going to stick by him no matter what he was going through.

His name was Adam. He’d known him since they first went to bootcamp together. They propped each other up, and Shiro’s confidence was so strong that Adam genuinely thought that he was a fellow Alpha until he had to explain that he wasn’t. And even after knowing the truth, his feelings never changed. They’d been best friends for years, but it wasn’t until Adam held his hand through physical therapy and stayed by his side throughout his recovery that he fell in love.

He was twenty-three when he was first marked and twenty-five when he got married, which was a bit on the older side according to how Omegas had always been conventionally raised. He once again challenged Dynamic norms by becoming an emergency room doctor, training as soon as he fully recovered from his accident. Now he was twenty-seven, happily married, and well on his way in his career.

But how did he get _here?_

Here, on his bathroom floor fighting wave after wave of nausea. He knew he wasn’t exactly careful during his recent heats, but he’d been told since his accident that he was probably infertile. He’d long since accepted that, and as upset as he was, maybe it was better this way. But still, despite those warnings, he stared up at his sink, where a pending pregnancy test was waiting for him.

Shiro was anxious and shaking. He didn’t ever think this was a possibility. He’d always wanted kids and wanted to be a dad, but he’d been so focused on his career that even if he could’ve had children, he just didn’t have the time. This was mostly to humor himself and to stave off the last of his worries. So, when he got up off the bathroom floor when it was time to see his results, he was stunned to find that it was positive.

He was pregnant… Shiro was _pregnant._ He could practically feel his heart soaring as so much joy filled him to the brim. And his joy only grew when he heard the front door to their apartment. Adam was home.

Excited, he rushed out of the bathroom. “Adam!” He’d startled his mate by hugging him tightly, embracing him and kissing his face. “Adam, baby!”

“Takashi, what’s going on?” he chuckled, rubbing his side.

“Adam, I’m pregnant,” he gasped, not even bothering to build it up to a nice reveal. He was so excited that he didn’t need to. “We’re having a baby!”

“W-wha—?” His whole face started to light up. “Really?! Takashi!”

They took each other into their arms again, and the surprised Alpha had tears of joy start forming in his eyes. Their lives were going to be changed again, but this time it was for the better. And Shiro could barely believe it.

\--

_Their excitement didn’t last long._

_Adam_ had to be deployed. They had a happy week together, which looking back was the happiest week of Shiro’s life. Every night, they’d cuddled together, and Adam rubbed Shiro’s middle while the only visible sign of his pregnancy was the way he was losing muscle tone there. Despite that, the happy Omega was endeared by it.

Shiro drove Adam to the airport, and the couple was reluctant to part ways.

“Come back safe,” Shiro hummed while giving him a kiss, smiling against his lips. “By the time you come home, you’ll soon be meeting your baby.”

“Yeah.” Adam grinned while both his hands gravitated to his mate’s abdomen. He soothingly rubbed it while placing a sweet kiss to Shiro’s bond mark. “I’ll see you sooner than you think, Takashi. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I always do,” he teased while kissing him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Adam looked down and reluctantly moved his hands away. “And I love you, little guy. I’ll see you soon.”

He smiled fondly. “Bye, Adam.”

His Alpha happily took his hand and kissed it one last time. “Bye, Takashi.”

Shiro might’ve cried a little when he was finally alone at home, but no one ever had to know that. He focused on his career and preparing for his new child, because he knew he’d have to keep his savings high if he wanted to raise them properly. He missed Adam already, but he was going to be so happy when he’d come home.

\--

_“There’s your baby.”_

_“That’s it?” Shiro’s_ eyes widened while looking at the ultrasound. It was so small that he thought it was a little blob. But there they were… an amazing little blob. The rapid heartbeat filled the entire room, and that alone was enough to please him, and seeing them for the first time made him even happier.

“That’s it, Shiro,” his doctor nodded happily. Shiro had decided to use his own hospital’s resources, feeling more comfortable around doctors and colleagues he knew. His appointment was during his break, and now while ten weeks along, he was starting to be more open about the baby with his coworkers. They’d been his support system while Adam was away.

After his break, he happily looked at the ultrasound pictures. He was deep in his fantasy land, imagining what it was going to be like when his mate would come home. He would be so happy, and depending on when he’d come the baby would be almost here or already born. Their little family was going to be perfect.

“Dr. Shirogane!”

The shrill voice of one of his colleagues immediately took him out of the immersion.

“Slav.” He turned his head and gave the fellow doctor his most polite yet fakest smile.

“That’s Dr. Slav, Dr. Shirogane,” he scolded. “You must give your colleagues the same amount of respect that you would give yourself.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” he frowned and waited for the elevator doors to open.

“What are you doing up in this ward anyways?” Slav crossed his arms. “You’re not using your break time that wisely.”

He gritted his teeth. “Well, no.” He tried to smile again. “I’m up here for an appointment.” He showed him one of the pictures. “I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant? While your mate is not here?” he gasped dramatically. “Not having your Alpha during this time could cause serious complications!”

“What?”

“The baby needs special care and pheromones, and it’s not very wise to attempt a safe gestation without both parents present during a crucial point of your child’s development!”

His eyes narrowed. “How many patients do you usually have on a day-to-day basis?”

“Seven?” Slav looked down to ponder. “Eight to ten? Depends on the season.”

How was he _that_ popular? “Right. Well, I have to go.” He sighed in relief as he quickly stepped into the elevator.

Once he was in the safety of his own ward, he showed his friends his baby’s first pictures. Among his friends were Matt, his sister Pidge, who was completing her credits before starting medical school, biomedical engineer Hunk, and Lance, who was an X-Ray technician. Dr. Holt, who was Matt’s father, was Shiro’s supervisor while he was earning his Doctorate.

“Look at how cute they are,” Hunk chuckled.

Pidge deadpanned while looking at it. “Hunk, you can barely see anything.”

“That’s not true,” Shiro chided and slipped the pictures back in his coat pocket. He was going to send a copy to Adam in the mail. He knew he’d love that a lot. “Let’s get back to work, busy bees. We don’t get paid to stand around.”

“Sure, boss.” Lance rolled his eyes teasingly, but they all did head back to their stations.

The day went on without too many incidents. He was already thinking about the look on his husband’s face when he’d receive this little picture in the mail. He hadn’t heard from him in a little while, but he knew firsthand how rough being on the front lines could be. He wrote regularly and told him all about his progress through that.

His drive home was long, but he could handle traffic jams easily. He was a man on a mission. And upon arriving at home, he made himself a nice meal. It was a little lonely sitting by himself, but he wasn’t _truly_ alone. The little life growing inside him reminded him of that. But while he was eating, he heard a knock at the door.

He wasn’t expecting any visitors, so he was a little surprised. Perking up, he went up to the door to see a not so welcoming sight. A man, a fellow soldier, dressed in his blues.

There was only one reason why he would be here.

Shiro refused to believe it.

“No.” He started to shut the door on the man, quickly shaking his head.

“Corporal Shirogane.” Shiro briefly saw his name tag: Raht. It was enough for Shiro to start breaking.

“N-no! You need to leave!”

“Corporal.” He knocked on the door again.

Shiro forced himself to open the door. His breath was shaky, his face already wet with tears. This couldn’t be happening to him. They were all wrong. It must’ve been a different Adam, and they were just mistaken! There the pastor was accompanying the officer, but he honestly didn’t want to talk to him. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. They all sat on the couch, where he was forced to prepare himself, as if anyone could ever prepare for this.

Raht was very calm and gentle, but Shiro didn’t really pay any attention to that while he was grieving. “The Secretary of the Army regrets to inform you that your husband, Adam Wallace, was killed in action late yesterday.”

Shiro was numb. His face stayed hidden in his hands, even while the pastor tried to console him and they tried setting appointments up for his funeral and with Casualty Affairs. He was heartbroken. A widowed Omega. Not only that, but he was pregnant and alone. The future looked bleak for him.

That night he was curled up in bed, and he couldn’t stop sobbing and letting out these mournful cries for his mate that would go unanswered. His bond mark hurt. What was once a light feeling in his belly now felt like an unsettling weight. What was he supposed to do? Being a single and expectant Omega put him at the forefront of scrutiny, especially with him not being the most conventional looking of his Dynamic. That could have him become open to stigma.

A fleeting thought came to his mind. Was it really worth it all? He could easily just try to start over. He could have an abortion and continue his career, and hopefully he’d find another Alpha that was willing to put up with him despite his baggage. But there was a slim chance of that.

Just the mere concept of getting rid of it made his blood grow cold. He’d never be able to. He clutched his middle again, letting out sad apologies. He would never be able to get through this if he didn’t have his baby. It was the only thing in his life that he could really look forward to, even if he had to go through hit alone.

Juxtaposed with the happiest week of his life, the saddest week of his life was preparing for Adam’s funeral, where he had to wear his uniform for the first time in six years and stand in a salute while fighting his tears.


	2. Keith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Keith gets around a bit! He's non-committed in the beginning, and he does one night stands and hookups. Well, more of that will be explained in this chapter. Also, these two souls meet each other!

_Keith’s life wasn’t that exciting. Being_ a small Alpha stunted Keith’s confidence a little bit while he was growing up, but he had his own ways of coping with it. People were more impressed with his salary than his abilities to provide for an Omega. Most of them didn’t see him as mating material, but that didn’t bother him anymore. It was a new generation, and now at twenty-two years old, he was making his rounds easing his ruts with one-offs. It became a small hobby for him.

His exciting sex life rivaled his boring day job. He was a bank teller, and a pretty damn good one. However, in hindsight it wasn’t that big of an achievement. So, he usually hit the town to deal with the monotony. The trick was to never _ever_ mention his job. Nothing was hot about being a bank teller. His most popular method of enticing potential partners was sharing pictures of his dog. He could feel Kosmo’s discontent every time he took pictures of him for these exact purposes. Eventually, he built up confidence that oozed off him when he walked around at night. Omega men and women saw an appeal in him, surprisingly enough. Even Betas took a liking to him, sometimes.

But, after one rather eventful day at his mundane job, his life completely changed forever.

It was a stupid accident. He tripped over a snag in the carpet at work. He didn’t really think it was that big of a deal, until he tried to get up and got a shooting pain in his wrist. Oh well. Workman’s comp wasn’t exactly on his agenda today. His boss forced him to go to the hospital, although he tried to assure even the EMTs that nothing was wrong.

He sprained his wrist. This was such a stupid injury. It didn’t help either that he wasn’t particularly a fan of hospitals and would rather avoid them, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

The doctor that saw him wore a surgical mask, even though he didn’t necessarily need one. Keith got splinted and wore a brace on his wrist, and while whatever the doctor was saying was probably important, he couldn’t help but stare. He was tall and a bit overweight, and there was something about his eyes that drew Keith to him. His voice was rather soothing, too.

“All fixed, Sir,” the doctor assured gently, voice giving away the smile hiding behind his mask. He seemed young, despite his silver hair. “I wouldn’t go back to work for a few days, though, just so you can rest your wrist.”

“I’ve needed a little vacation anyways,” he huffed and winced while trying to turn his arm. He was biting the inside of his cheek from nerves. “Thanks, big guy.”

The doctor raised a brow. “Big guy? Is ‘doctor’ too formal for you?” he chuckled.

They were fellow guys, and Keith didn’t see anything wrong with engaging in small talk with the guy. They were both Alphas, after all. “So what, if you got a little bit of tub? There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

He could sense the tension that suddenly filled the room. The doctor placed a hand on his hip, pausing while he looked him dead in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”

That definitely took Keith down a couple pegs. “Oh.” He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, doc. I didn’t realize. Please don’t undo my splint. Er, congratulations?”

The doctor then started to laugh. “It’s okay. I’m just teasing. Most people automatically assume I’m an Alpha, so it’s so easy to mess with them.”

“Right,” he stammered and chuckled. He didn’t even look like an Omega! Honestly, he’d never met anyone like him. “Guess I’m good to go home?”

“That’s right. If you don’t have a general practitioner, come back here next week for a lower dosage on the medication I prescribed for inflammation. Make sure you follow the chart, and don’t overtake the medicine once you wean off it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be good. Thanks again, Doctor…”

“…Shirogane,” the man finished for him, and they shook hands. “I hope you make a speedy recovery.”

Keith was just in awe at his poise. He seemed like an absolute blessing. Dressed in all white and with a metal arm to boot, he looked stunning. And he didn’t even see all of his face yet! And now that he could detect the distinctive scent and realized that the weight gain was actually a baby belly, it gave him that extra glow. He was simply alluring.

There wasn’t really any time for him to really observe him, however. He did have a general practitioner, but he was more enticed with the idea of seeing Doctor Shirogane again. Keith was already counting down the days.

\--

_“You insulted a pregnant Omega?”_

_Keith_ ran a hand down his face. “I didn’t even know he was an Omega! He was cool with it!” During his break, he was talking with Ulaz, a close coworker. His mate, named Thace, also sat with them. “It’s not like I completely destroyed him, or anything.”

“Still!” Thace chuckled. “If my mother ever knew that I made fun of a pregnant Omega, she’d smack me upside the head.”

Keith laughed along with him. “I think you would’ve been fine. I mean, my dad wouldn’t have been that harsh.” He shrugged. “Honestly, though, he’s kind of attractive. At least, from one-third of the face that I saw. He had a mask on.”

“Wait, wait.” Ulaz threw his hands up. “No. That’s a whole can of worms right there. If this Alpha knew you were ogling him, he’d track you down. That’s a fact.”

“I know, I know. There’s no harm in just a little looking.”

He let out a loud huff and went back to his food. “You’re hopeless.”

“And I’m leaving.” There was an alarm on Keith’s phone that started to go off. “I got a follow-up appointment with Dr. Dreamy.”

“Enough with the ‘dreamy’ nonsense. If he’s pregnant, then he’s taken. Now, go.”

“Yeah, yeah, Thace.” Keith rolled his eyes and waved them off. “Goodbye.”

At the hospital, he patiently waited for Dr. Shirogane in the room. He now got a good look at him once he came inside. The doctor had a muscular build, even with his growing belly that was protruding despite the lab coat. Keith kept looking from his eyes, to the scar on the bridge of his nose, to the prosthetic arm, to his baby belly, and then repeat. He could feel his face heating up at the sight. He had to give it to him. His Alpha was a lucky guy. He was a _gorgeous_ man.

“Hello again, Mr. Kogane,” he chuckled, his voice sweet. “You know that I’m aware you have a general practitioner, right?”

Keith started to blush. “She won’t mind that I’m seeing you. This is an important appointment.”

His smile grew. “I’m sure. Now, how’ve you been doing with physical therapy?”

“It’s been great. They said I should feel much better in a week or so.”

“Perfect,” he smiled. “And you’ve been following the chart for your medications?”

He nodded insistently. “Honestly, though, is it procedure for an emergency room doctor to have someone come back in just to check on how they’re dealing with their prescriptions?”

He blushed darkly and cleared his throat. “Routine check-ups are important, Mr. Kogane.”

Sure, the doctor’s smile was as bright as could be, but that smile didn’t really travel up to his eyes. The poor man’s eyes looked as numb and jaded as if he was going through a depression. That wasn’t the expression of a happy and pregnant Omega.

They went through the check-up, and Keith got a less bulky splint as his wrist was healing much better. “I just wanna say again that I’m sorry, for the way I talked to you when you helped me. I didn’t mean any harm by basically calling you…” He blushed. “…well, what I called you. Really, I think you look great. Y-you’re glowing, even.”

Dr. Shirogane’s cheeks flushed a little more as he looked away. “Well. That’s enough of that. You’re free to go.”

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled. “I know. These compliments are only reserved for your mate. I understand.”

He could significantly see his expression change. There was no hint of a smile in his features at all. The only thing that came to Keith’s mind was if he was mistreated, or worse.

Did his Alpha abandon him?

It only lasted a second. He then took a deep breath and looked back over at Keith with another fake smile. “Okay. I think this has gone a little too personal, don’t you?”

“You’re probably right. I’m sorry,” he assured him.

“All is forgiven. Now, go and see the receptionist about your copay. I have a very tight schedule. If you have any questions or are concerned about the state of your recovery, you’re free to call the office any time.”

“Okay. Thank you so much.” Keith noticed that Dr. Shirogane was a really sweet doctor. No wonder he was so good at his job. Every word that escaped his mouth just oozed with care, no matter how down he seemed to be. He was professional and tactful, as well, and just the mere thought that his Alpha possibly abandoned him was causing a new fire to burn in his stomach. How dare he?

Now that he thought about it, this _was_ getting to be a little too personal.

“Thank you, Dr. Shirogane. I’m surprised that you’ve been wanting to still see me at all.”

“I can’t leave a patient hanging,” he insisted with a small smile. “I’ll see you in a few weeks, when we remove your splint. Now, have a good day.”

“Thanks. You too, Doc…” Keith trailed off just as he was walking out the door. He was reluctantly to leave, because questions were starting to eat at him.

His Alpha better hope he doesn’t find him, because he was going to teach him a thing or two.

\--

_He knew firsthand how difficult it_ was for an Omega to raise a family. To top it all off, his _mother_ was the Alpha in his parents’ relationship. But Keith didn’t really remember having a real relationship with her growing up. She was gone for most of his childhood, stationed on the other side of the world and not really being around to raise him.

Sure, she didn’t _abandon_ them, but she wasn’t there to give his dad the support that he needed to raise a child by himself. His dad had been taking care of him alone for most of his childhood, before he died during a firefighting job and was viciously ripped away from him. His mother moved back home at that point to take the reins, but it wasn’t the same. There was a disconnect between the two of them, and Keith grew to be more independent after that. With seeing how poor the relationship with his parents was and the power separating from a mate could have, he never wanted a committed relationship like that. He was more than satisfied just having his fix taken care of and then moving on with his life. It hurt less that way.

To think that an Omega in the most vulnerable stage of his life could’ve possibly been abandoned shook him to his very core. He hoped that wasn’t the case and that he was just having a bad day.

“Earth to Keith!”

He was startled and tried to snap himself out of his thoughts. “S-sorry, Pidge.”

Hoping to get some relaxation and focus on something other than work, he decided to hang out with his one friend that stuck with him since high school. Pidge was pretty busy most of the week, so the fact that she had some time in between her classes and hectic work schedule to spend some time with him was a rarity.

“You’ve been so out of it all day. What’s eating at you?”

Keith frowned and looked down at his tray. They were in the middle of a restaurant, and while Pidge finished up her food, Keith barely touched his. “I dunno. I’m thinking about my doctor again. Doesn’t your brother work with him or something? What’s his deal?”

“Matt’s a nurse. They only see each other at work every once in a while,” she deadpanned. “I’m not keeping tabs of him, Keith.”

“Then, what’s his deal?” he frowned. “He’s a really nice guy, but he’s so down. What’s wrong with him?”

“Why do you wanna know so bad?” She stole some of his food while he wasn’t paying attention, but Keith didn’t have it in him to scowl at her.

“Well, I started thinking about my parents… I hope his Alpha didn’t abandon him or something. That poor guy raising a kid all by himself…”

She crossed her arms. “Shiro is anything _but_ a poor guy. He doesn’t need an Alpha to help him. He’s proved that to everyone over and over again. If anything, he’s better off _without_ an Alpha.”

“So, his Alpha _did_ abandon him?”

“I’m not having this conversation!” She raised her hands up. “Change the subject, or I’m stealing all your fries!”

“You wouldn’t dare,” he gasped, but he admittedly relented. He wasn’t going to take that risk.

Dr. Shirogane was quite the mystery, wasn’t he? Keith knew nothing about this guy, but he honestly wanted to know more.

He did attempt to get him out of his head, though. Keith took his stress out on the town throughout the week after his time with Pidge, but every day he thought of Dr. Shirogane. He couldn’t really explain why! Even with another Omega underneath him, he was still there, his fake but professional smile haunting the forefront of his memory.

“Uh, Keith?” He didn’t even remember the name of the Omega he was with right now, despite him being buried deep within him. “Y-you stopped moving.”

“Eh?” Keith looked down at him, a little flushed and laughing nervously. “Oh right. Sorry.”

He was barely into it, a little too distracted. Even with the Omega’s whine of pleasure underneath him, he just couldn’t bring himself to be focused enough.

The walk of shame he’d done on his way home completely projected his embarrassment from the night earlier. He dragged his feet through the threshold, and there Kosmo was, squinting at him from the kitchen with his head resting on his paws.

“Quit looking at me like that,” he mumbled, no malice in his voice at all as he slumped into his bedroom.


	3. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro didn't need an Alpha to survive, but he wasn't sure if he could say the same thing about his unborn child. He felt like they needed that second parent to have a fulfilling and happy life. He reluctantly decided to sign up for an online dating site designed for older or formerly mated Dynamics.

_“How’ve you been feeling this week?”_

_Shiro had been seeing Dr. Balmera,_ his therapist, ever since Adam passed away. Hunk was the one that recommended her, considering that she was his mate. He’d been seeing her for nearly two months now, but he didn’t feel like he was making much progress.

“It still feels really lonely coming home after a long day at work. I look around and hope that someone else is there, but I realize that I’m all alone.” He sounded numb while recalling it.

“Not quite alone, Shiro,” she insisted happily. “Remember, you have to keep your mental health under control when your baby’s born.”

“I know…” He gingerly felt the baby bump. He rarely did it anymore. While he did love his future child immensely, he hadn’t been showing much affection towards it. “It’s hard for me to be happy about the baby. There’s not really anyone that I could share my happiness with.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Dr. Balmera assured him. “You have your friends and people at work. And you had them beforehand too. Hunk told me that the day you found out about Adam, beforehand you were showing them your baby’s pictures. Do you talk about your baby anymore?”

He tried to think. And with that, he started to realize… _no._

He shook his head while his eyes started to water. “I don’t ever feel happy enough to. I-I mean, I still go to the doctor, but that’s it. I stopped preparing. I have no nursery, no clothes… nothing.”

She watched him and frowned. “Shiro, I want you to start reaching out to your friends again. You shouldn’t be thinking that you don’t have anyone to turn to. Just because you don’t have an Alpha, that doesn’t mean you’re completely alone. You’ve done so well to keep moving forward with your job, even when your grief has been so hard to handle. You should be proud of yourself. But now, you also need to focus on getting ready to raise a family. You know deep down that you can handle it, and I want you to prove that to yourself by not keeping everything bundled up inside. Reach out to people.”

He sighed shakily. “You’re right. It’s very hard, but you’re right. I just feel so guilty. And it’s already hard, going out in public when I don’t have a mate anymore. The excitement I get when talking about the baby to my friends isn’t the same as talking to my… Alpha. I can’t ignore my instincts that I need an Alpha in order to provide properly.”

“That’s a difficult instinct to try and crack,” she confessed. “If you don’t want to do this alone, you don’t have to, so long as you’re ready to move on. So, if you’re thinking of trying to find a new Alpha to help you, just know that you should never force yourself into a relationship. You know what’s best for you better than any Alpha does. But if you do go down that route, what you would need is a committed Alpha that’s ready to settle down—someone that can help you take care of your baby.”

“Right…” He sighed softly. The desperation of his inner Omega to find a provider might outweigh his own protests to keep from branching out. “I miss Adam too much, but I’m worried that the baby won’t be well supported with just me as their parent. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

She smiled gently. “Of course.” Their session was coming to a close, and she was wrapping up. “Next time we meet, I want you to tell me something new about your baby’s development and what you’re doing to prepare for their arrival. It’s okay for you to be a doting dad while at work. You’re very professional, but it’s very natural for you to be excited with your friends. I’m sure they’d love to hear all about it.”

“Okay.” He nodded, his hand moving down to his belly while he got up from the chair. “You know. I never really noticed how big I was getting. I had a patient the other day that commented on my belly when I was working on him.” His cheeks reddened. “It was a bit of a wakeup call for me.”

“Well, that’s okay,” Dr. Balmera smiled. “You’re going to be working on that now. So, remember to give me feedback next time. Have a good week, Shiro. Keep up with your progress.”

“Thank you.” Shiro smiled and headed out the door. He always felt much better after therapy, and being with Dr. Balmera helped him open his eyes each week. Speaking of that patient, he was supposed to be coming in today.

Keith seemed to be determined to ask him too personal questions, and he was suspecting that he was just being an Alpha trying to hit on him. And yet, this didn’t make him want Keith as far away from him as possible, either. He admired the awkward way that he tried to charm others. He wasn’t a conventional Alpha, but Shiro wasn’t a conventional Omega either. It was complementary, really.

He went back to work after his break was over. Yes, he still spent his breaks during the day going to appointments that he just couldn’t find the time to go to during the rest of the week. His schedules were always jam packed, after all, even with him being almost five months pregnant.

He prepared for his meeting with Keith. He stepped into Dr. Holt’s office and found that he was right there in the seat waiting for him. He smiled politely and walked in while looking at his paperwork for him.

“Okay, Keith, how’s your wrist healing up?” He took a deep breath and signed himself into the computer right nearby to look at his medical records. “You’ve been building up your strength in it now, right?”

“Well…” Keith paused. “What would you consider a good amount of strength building for an Alpha?”

He pursed his lips while trying his best not to laugh. “I’d say that consists of following procedures with your physical therapist and doing minor tasks, as well as resting in between. Do you think you’ve been following that?”

He diverted his eyes. “I think I may have been overexerting myself.”

“Excellent,” he chuckled sarcastically. He walked over. “Please raise your arm up for me, so I can remove your splint.”

“Right,” he laughed shyly as he did what he was told. “Are you this stern with your Alpha?”

His eye twitched as he heard him. Every time he tried to talk to him about life with his mate, it brought him right back to the fact that Adam was dead. “I can be sometimes,” he lied while letting out a nervous laugh. He slowly removed the splint and inspected his arm. “You’re lucky that there wasn’t any more damage. You’re all set here, and you can resume back to your normal activities.”

“Thanks, doc,” he grinned.

“Of course,” Shiro insisted and helped get him situated. He kept looking up at Keith’s face, a little curious because he kept feeling his eyes on him. He seemed to have this observing look that was a mixture of entranced and concerned, and he wasn’t sure how that made him feel. “Do you have any questions?” he teased playfully.

This time, Keith’s expression didn’t change. “Dr. Shirogane, is it wrong for me to feel worried?”

“Worried? About your… arm?” He was trying to dodge whatever he might’ve been thinking.

He shook his head. “I know it’s not really my place to ask, but is everything alright with you at home?” The question made Shiro flinch. “Your Alpha, I mean. He’s taking care of you, right?”

“That’s none of your business,” he muttered, doing his best to control his temper so he could bandage Keith back up without hurting him. “It’s not your place to worry about how other alphas are taking care of their mates.”

“But every time I look at you, you seem so lonely. Does he work a lot? He didn’t abandon you, right?”

“That’s enough,” he snapped. “Why do you care so much? I’m not just a medical professional, but I’m a total stranger to you. It’s my job to be taking care of you, not the other way around. I have other people to help me with that, thank you. What you’re asking me has nothing to do with your condition. I’m asking you to please stop, or else I’ll have to take drastic measures and have you escorted out. Good luck finding another doctor in this hospital to deal with you, after that.”

“I only care, because I have an idea of what it’s like.” Keith spoke so calmly. “My parents split up when I was very young. My mother was a soldier and was away on tours for most of my life, and my father raised me on his own. And I can see how hard it is, being a single Omega with a child. I don’t want you to feel the stress and pain that my dad did, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

He was losing his resolve very quickly. “If… if you must know, my mate didn’t abandon me.” He looked away, attempting to hide his anguish. “He would’ve never done that. My mate, A-Adam, he passed away a couple months ago. He was fighting in the war.”

“Oh.” He heard Keith’s startled mumble while he dried his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Shirogane.”

“It was nothing that you could’ve prevented,” he mumbled. “Now, will you please stop with the questions?”

“Yes, Sir,” he frowned, his head tilting in thought.

“Thank you.” Shiro got ready to sign him out, slowly calming down after several moments of taking deep breaths. “Now. Let me just sign you out, and you can be on your way.” He gave him his paperwork, and he took a shaky breath. “Just so you know, I am getting help for all this. I don’t need an Alpha to protect me.”

“I never said you weren’t capable,” he insisted. “That’s the last thing I would say.”

There was a little spark. He smiled faintly and nodded. “Thank you, Keith. Now, get going.” He handed him his papers. “And no more tripping over rugs, okay?”

“Okay, doc.” He walked off after waving goodbye.

That wasn’t as painful of an interaction as he thought it would be. He took a deep breath and focused on going about his day once more. He needed to continue his long road to recovery.

\--

_Shiro sighed shakily as he stared_ down at his phone. The odd color scheme of the app was an eyesore.

**NewBonds.com: Helping Dynamics Find Love Again**

He started to fill out his profile, and he was nervous to add absolutely everything to it. He stared at the different accounts to get a rough idea of what to say.

 

 

> **Name:** Mitchell Iverson  
>  **Dynamic:** Alpha  
>  **Occupation:** Physical Trainer  
>  **About:** I have 3 dogs that filled the void of not finding an Omega for so long, but that can only stave it off for so long. On the older side, but it’s never too late to find a mate.
> 
> **Name:** Sendak Deluis  
>  **Dynamic:** Alpha  
>  **Occupation:** Quarry Manager  
>  **About:** My former mate and I have found that we have different long-term interests. But I’m not letting that stop me from trying again. Looking for commitment with someone that’s strong, independent, and always willing to stand by their Alpha through thick and thin. I’m a provider first and foremost.
> 
> **Name:** Curtis  
>  **Dynamic:** Alpha  
>  **Occupation:** Public Relations for Garrison Corp.  
>  **About:** Looking for love in the oddest places! Never been mated, but hoping to give an Omega another chance at finding the perfect Alpha.

 

Shiro rolled his eyes and slumped back. He felt so uncomfortable doing this, and he was worried that putting in that he was pregnant in his About section would be a repellant. However, he put in requests for these Alphas, hoping that just putting his foot in the door would help. He stared at his profile with nerves eating at his insides.

 

> **Name:** Takashi Shirogane  
>  **Dynamic:** Omega  
>  **Occupation:** Emergency Room Doctor  
>  **About:** I’m widowed, and the hurt of losing him is so strong. In the meantime, I’d been maintaining my job and living on my own. However, I’m hoping to meet the right Alpha that knows how to take care of me. Caution: I tend to be picky.

 

Maybe he should’ve mentioned that he was pregnant…

He could use that as a good conversation starter for when he’d meet these people.

**\--**

_“Wow, doing something important on a_ day you’re _not_ working? What a twist!”

“Shut up, Allura,” Shiro laughed while pushing the cart. He looked around the aisles curiously. “There’s so many different types of furniture, and I don’t know how to choose!”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Allura was one of his friends from medical school, and she was the one person he could rely on to help him take this next step in his recovery. He was very behind in trying to find clothes and furniture for the baby. “What kind of theme do you want to go for?” she asked.

He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know… I feel like such a bad dad.”

“Stop that,” she tutted. “I’m here to help you, Shiro. We’re only getting furniture, so what kind of colors would you like for the nursery?”

“Maybe… wood with a black finish? It would match with the rest of the apartment.”

“That sounds like a great idea. We’ll have people help bring everything to your place.” As Allura walked with him down the aisle, she was also looking at other stuff. “Oh! Let’s also add things to your baby’s registry, so people know what to get for you for your shower. Time to get excited!”

He smiled a bit and nodded, rubbing his arm shyly while looking at different furniture selections. “Yeah. I-I guess I’m getting a little excited.”

“That’s great!” she grinned. As they were shopping, she seemed to be distracted after they’d been in the store for about a half hour. “Oh. Don’t look, but someone is staring at you right now.”

He froze and kept eye contact with just her. “Is he kinda short, long hair?”

“No,” she mused. “He’s pretty tall, a little older… And he’s really into you.”

“Huh?” Against her wishes, he turned back to look. It turned out that it really wasn’t Keith. The tall man was built, and he looked like he was a powerful man in his hay day. He had to be at least a decade older than Shiro. He looked familiar, and he realized that he was one of the men that he saw on that website the other night. “Oh…” With the way his eyes softened upon looking at him, he couldn’t help the blush forming in his cheeks.

“Find everything you’re looking for?” the stranger then murmured, walking over to him.

Was he really interested in _him?_ Did he realize that he was the one shopping for things for _his_ baby? “Y-yeah. My friend’s helping me…” He hated how shy he sounded, but he never expected to be approached like this! The scent was overpowering. He was definitely an Alpha. He suddenly felt self-conscious. Did he have a different scent now? It had to be because he was pregnant, but was it still an attractive scent?

“Good,” he hummed, a polite smile on his face. “I’m Mitchell. Mitchell Iverson.” He held his arm out.

He shyly shook his hand and nodded. “Takashi Shirogane.”

“Hey, I know you. You’re on NewBonds.com!”

Allura frowned. “…NewBonds.com?”

“It’s this dating sight for Dynamics that were previously mated but single,” Shiro sighed. “Yes, that’s me.”

“And…” Mitchell’s eyes traveled downward, making Shiro’s face heat up. “Oh. You’re very, uh.”

“Pregnant.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I would’ve never guessed. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” he blushed. “Er. Mind if I ask why you’re hanging around the baby aisle?”

“My niece is having a baby,” he answered smoothly. “I didn’t expect such a beautiful Omega to be here as well.”

“Oh.” Clearly flattered, he quickly glanced back at Allura to see her reaction. Meanwhile, she was reluctantly gesturing for him to take the compliment. “Thank you.”

He smiled, struggling to keep his eyes off his stomach. He looked back up for eye contact. “Am I interrupting?”

“A little, but it’s okay,” he insisted. “But it’s actually a good thing you’re here. I…”

It was a start. As nervous as he was to move on from Adam, the idea was fresh in his mind and he started to feel a little more comfortable. So long as an Alpha was also showing good traits of being a parent, he didn’t see anything wrong with it.

“Hm?” He smiled at him. “What is it?”

“I’m actually uh… trying to find another Alpha to help me with raising my baby. It’s not purely for companionship.”

“Right…” He seemed hesitant at that. “You can call me Mitch, then.”

He nodded happily. “Okay.” He started taking out his phone. Hopefully an older Alpha would be someone he could have a new relationship with. He gave him his number. “Okay, Mitch.”

Even after Mitch left, he let out an exhale he didn’t realize he’d been holding back. Allura was on him in an instant, checking to make sure that he was okay.

“I’m alright,” he assured her happily.

“I know, I just want you to be careful,” she said. “Don’t push yourself if you don’t want to go through with it. Okay?”

“Okay.” He smiled a bit, and he looked down at his phone to see a few texts from Mitch already. He knew this was a step in the right direction. He was nervous to move on completely, but there was no harm in experimenting. He could hold his own. If he knew that he needed to stop or move on, he was going to do it. He wasn’t going to put his baby through that type of turmoil. Everything that he was doing was for their future and their protection, much less for himself.

\--

_It was a good thing that_ Shiro chose to go back to Mitch’s place after their date instead of his, because he knew from the moment they stepped inside his bedroom that this wasn’t the right Alpha to help raise his child.

The date was nice, and they were able to make good small talk together. But Mitch wanted different things from Shiro. He was focused on something else entirely. He’d wanted to know what it was like to have sex with a pregnant Omega.

That was typical for an Alpha of his age to try different things, but Shiro was hoping for a little bit more because of what was said on his profile. Mitch had led him to believe that he wanted to settle down and mate. But he didn’t want to do that with _him._ This was just an experiment. Suppose that people could argue that Shiro was doing the same thing, but his experimentation had a real purpose. Mitch’s was just something to scratch off his bucket list.

He knew the moment that he settled on his bed. Mitch was overpowering him, but his primal instincts eagerly let him take the lead. Don’t get him wrong, because he absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. But it was just a one-time thing, and after it was over, he made that perfectly clear to him.

That didn’t ease his hurt any less, though. He knew that this was going to be a hard thing to do, but he also didn’t expect how much of an emotional toll it would be if it didn’t turn out well in the end. And of course, there was the immense guilt. It was the first time he had sex since Adam died. He’d cried for several hours after coming home, just from that. He wondered if he was looking down at him with any ill will. He wouldn’t blame him. He started to hate himself for that, too. The companionship itself felt nice, but it only did in the moment.

The weekend came to a close, and Shiro was back to work. He had his time to reflect, but now he had patients to tend to and a degree to help flourish. Downstairs, the receptionist said that there were some deliveries for him in the office, and he was concerned that they were from Mitch.

He was filled with this sense of dread and annoyance, but he held his tongue and went to his office like nothing was wrong. Upon coming in, he was stunned to find that there were several different presents scattered about on his desk. The hardest thing to miss was the flowers, perched nicely in a new vase as his desk’s centerpiece. Then there were some stuffed animals, all designed for a very young child to hold and play with. He stepped closer and read a note, and what was written touched his heart.

 

_To Dr. Shirogane:_

_Sorry if the animals were a bit of an overkill, but it’s important for you to remind yourself that you’ll never have to go through this alone. You can count on your friends for their support, and you don’t need an Alpha to be a good dad and provider for your baby._

_I won’t stop you if you do end up mate searching, though._

_You deserve all the best, and if you ever need any help finding things for the baby, I don’t mind lending a hand. Thanks for patching my wound up, doc._

_Sincerely,_

_Keith._


	4. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith saw no issues with being close to Shiro and trying to help him, but as his family and coworkers are trying to keep him out of starting a relationship with him, he was trying to find out where the line that couldn't be crossed was.

_“What did I say, Keith?”_

_Keith looked up from his dazed_ state, staring at his phone. He’d found Shiro’s profile in a suggested friends list on Facebook, and he was skirting around the idea of sending a request. Ulaz peeked over for only a second, but he managed to see the profile.

“It’s not that bad!” Keith groaned. “He’s single!”

“You’re not actually _thinking_ of getting with him, are you?” he frowned. “It’s not like one of your one-offs with someone. If he’s looking for a relationship, he’d want a serious Alpha that is ready to start a family.”

“I’m not thinking of anything like that,” he snapped. “I just want to help him out. He’s someone that I’d want to be friends with.”

He didn’t seem convinced. “Just be careful. If he gets close with you, and he realizes that you’d be someone that wouldn’t be good for his baby or would potentially harm his baby, he will want blood.”

“But I’m not gonna hurt his kid,” he promised. “I just want to help him.”

Ulaz nodded slowly. “Okay. I think you should take that with a grain of salt.”

When he walked away, Keith looked over his profile again. He still had a “married” status on his profile, and that led him to believe that he either hadn’t been on his page in a while, or he just refused to change it for whatever personal reason. He didn’t mind that. Even with that information, he sent a friend request.

It was accepted within a day.

\--

 _While fighting another hangover, Keith casually_ regretted his decisions from the night before while quietly going through the department store with his cart. It’d been a month since he first met Shiro, and since the first day he was always on his mind. Every waking moment, no matter how many other one-offs he’d had since then, he couldn’t get him out of his head. He just couldn’t get rid of him! Sometimes he often thought about his child, too. That kid deserved a good life and a happy home environment.

He knew that Shiro would give them that, but he also knew that Shiro most likely wanted someone else to be a part of it.

As he walked through, he noticed a familiar face going around the men’s department looking for clothes. Shiro was there in the Big N’ Tall area, and the face he was making while staring at the oversized outfits made Keith laugh in spite of himself. His nose was scrunched up in disgust, and he had a pair of pants in his hand while stretching the waistline out to max.

“Dr. Shirogane?”

He was startled and looked up. “Oh!” He threw the pants back onto the shelf gracelessly and gave him a shy wave. “H-hello.”

“Need some help?” He walked over to him, hopefully with Shiro’s reaction being a good sign that he was open to talk.

He let out a huff and stared at the bunched up pants again. “I’m getting… y’know, bigger.” He did seem embarrassed about it and took a glance down at his belly. “And I have a date tonight. But I’m so fat, and I kinda wanted to gently ease into the fact that I’m pregnant instead of the Alpha immediately knowing just by looking at me.”

“They don’t have to look at you to know.” He was hesitant to say that, but he couldn’t deny it. Shiro had a specific scent. He did detect it just a little bit when they first met, but now it just flowed right off him. It was youthful and pleasant. “Pregnant Omegas have a special scent.”

“They _what?”_ He blushed darkly, his hand quickly moving to cover his scent gland. “I-is it that bad?”

“You never knew that?” He laughed a bit. “I couldn’t help myself. It’s a very calming scent.”

Shiro tried to contain himself. “I just… I dunno, I’m not having much luck finding a new Alpha. Things didn’t work out very well with someone older. I recently went out with another guy my own age, too. His name was Curtis, and he… Well anyway, I wanted to try something different to make myself more attractive. I don’t usually find out until after our date that they were only interested in me because they wanted to see what—” He cut himself off. “Sorry, that’s too much information.”

“…But they just wanted to see what one night with a pregnant Omega would be like, without worrying that their Alpha would come after them for doing that?”

By the look on his face, he knew that he hit the nail right on the head. He looked away and gave a nervous nod. “That’s not what I need right now, you know? I want someone that will be a good parent.”

“I know,” he mused. “Well, I can help you. Do you know anything about this guy yet?”

“I know enough,” he said. “His name’s Sendak. He’s a manager at a quarry. He seems stable, so it’s something that I wanted to try.”

“So, I’m guessing he doesn’t know you’re pregnant?”

He shyly shook his head. “I panicked,” he laughed nervously. “I’ve just been using this app online that helps single Dynamics ‘find love again.’” He’d said that slogan with a deadpanned tone. “I kinda just want to introduce myself to them before dropping that type of bombshell on them.”

“Well, I can help,” Keith insisted. “I know a thing or two about being with other Dynamics. Maybe I can give you tips.”

He couldn’t really look Keith in the eye. “If we’re going to do this, you can just call me Shiro. Your offer seems genuine.” He smiled a bit. “Now, please help me find an outfit.”

Keith chuckled. “Okay. So, you don’t need to look slimming or anything. Your goal is to find an Alpha that’s father material, right? Show yourself off. You’re a doctor.”

“A-an emergency room doctor, really…”

“That’s still an accomplishment,” he insisted happily. “That’s certainly better than being a bank teller where the only true friend you have is your dog.”

His eyes lit up. “Oh, you have a dog?”

“I don’t know what to think. Should I be happy you want to know about my dog, or should I be offended that you immediately knew I was talking about myself?” While Shiro started to laugh, Keith couldn’t help but smile. “His name’s Kosmo. He’s the best… you like dogs?”

“Of course, I do,” he grinned. “I never had one growing up, my dad’s allergic.”

“One day I’ll show you pictures.” The thought of going with his usual introduction with hookups made a pit start forming in his stomach. He didn’t want to do that to Shiro. “Well, anyways, your success alone should be enough to make an Alpha do a double take for you.”

Shiro’s face was turning red. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely,” he smiled. He looked at the different clothing. “Do you know your size?”

“My new ones, yeah,” he hummed, looking a little more confident. He picked the same pair of pants he threw earlier, and Keith realized that that really was his new size. It’d be wrong of him to judge him. In fact, he liked the appeal as he watched Shiro look at different shirts. His baby belly protruded from his middle, and it looked perfectly natural. He had this wonderful aura around him that was pure. “Oh.” His eyes lit up as he picked out a black button-down shirt. “How about this one?”

He watched him and perked up. “I like it. You should try these clothes on.”

“You’d be honest with me, right?” Shiro asked as they headed to the fitting room. “If I look bad, you’d say so?”

“If that’s what you want,” he said. They casually walked in, and in the men’s fitting room Keith noticed that there were different Alphas constantly turning their heads to look. Attention was immediately drawn to Shiro, and he didn’t mean for himself to get defensive, but he let out a low growl when they gave the Omega a critical eye.

Shiro didn’t seem to notice, so Keith stood by the doorway and waited. He heard Shiro’s huffs of frustration and his strains to get his clothes changed. The more he was around him, the more protective he grew as he made sure anyone and everyone stayed away from the entire fitting room while he was in there. He definitely didn’t have a problem.

He stepped out of the fitting room a moment later to show himself off. The black shirt did look slimming for him, even when he could still point out the belly. It made his hair shine and his complexion stand out, and despite his shy look while constantly feeling his abdomen, Keith had never seen anyone more gorgeous in his entire life.

“…So?” Shiro’s voice brought him back to the present. “How do I look?”

“You’re going to turn some heads,” he said with a grin. “It looks great on you.”

“Yeah?” he smiled, absolutely radiant. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Keith waited for Shiro to redress in his casual clothes before they walked around.

They ended up walking around together throughout the store. Shiro had to buy other things, too. Keith learned that he was very slow in his progress of getting things for the baby, so he was doing what he could on his days off to make sure everything was prepared. So, when Keith ended up with him in the baby aisle looking at supplies, he thought it was perfectly normal.

“There’s like, no hint that a baby will be living in my apartment,” he’d told him, sounding embarrassed. “My friend Allura helped me with furniture, but they won’t be shipped for another week or so. She also said to let other people buy stuff for them, but I wanna do as much as I can on my own.”

“I can understand that,” he insisted with a smile. “How about… getting some supplies that you wouldn’t even think you’d need?” He grabbed something right off the shelf, not even knowing or caring what it was. “Like this. I’m sure you’ll need this for something.”

Shiro blushed darkly when staring at it. “…A breast pump?”

Keith stammered while putting it right back. “I-I mean, you never know. Right?”

He failed to suppress a laugh. “I mean, I have a theme idea for the nursery. I think it’s kinda dumb, but I don’t know.”

“Hey, tell me. I’m sure it’s not dumb.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “When Adam and I first met, we were stargazing in the middle of the desert while the other soldiers were sleeping. Adam said that when he was a kid he’d always wanted to be an astronomer, but his parents said that it wouldn’t make him good money.” He had a sad smile on his face. “I kinda wish he did become that… but I want the baby to have at least one piece of their dad. So, I wanted a star theme and things with outer space.”

He listened attentively, watching him fondly. Shiro clearly missed his mate, and Keith respected that. After all, if he _didn’t_ miss him, then something was wrong. “I don’t think that’s dumb at all. It sounds like a nice tribute.”

“It does?” The surprised look on his face warmed Keith’s heart. “O-okay. Thank you.”

“Of course.” He looked at him happily. “And Shiro, it’s okay to ask for help. You deserve a good support system that will take good care of you. You’re not alone.”

He nodded slowly. “Right. I need to remind myself that a lot,” he confessed as they walked together. They spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, finishing up their lists around the same time. After checking out, Shiro turned to him as they headed out the door. “Oh, Keith? I think I do need your help with one specific thing.”

“And what might that be?”

“Would you be able to supervise my date?” He was a little nervous. “I know it’s not that great of a request, but I’m just so sick of Alphas only wanting one thing. You don’t have to sit anywhere near me, but I’d just need you to intervene in case something goes wrong. I’m getting further along. I don’t want any risks.”

“Uh… yeah. Of course, I can,” he answered gently. “I can understand that you’re worried. And I’d be sick of advances like that, too.”

“Right.” He smiled in relief. “Thank you so much. You can just meet me on Friday at Altean Bar. Allura’s uncle owns the restaurant, and he’ll be keeping an eye on me too. It’s at seven. You can get whatever you want, by the way. I’ll be treating you.”

“Sounds good. But I don’t need to be treated. I can take care of myself,” he said.

“You’re sure?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Okay.” Shiro hummed as they parted ways to their respective cars. “I’ll see you then.”

“If you want me to be a good bodyguard, you won’t be able to see me at all. But I’ll see you.” After diverting his eyes, he added quietly, “Let’s just hope I’ll _actually_ be a good bodyguard.”

The blush that bloomed on Shiro’s face induced a flustered smile out of Keith. “I’m sure you will be. I sincerely doubt there’d be a fight. I’ll see you Friday, then…” He left him alone after that, and after he’d finished his shopping, he realized that he needed to figure out what he was going to wear to the restaurant.

\--

 _It wasn’t very often that Keith_ visited his mother. But from Alpha to Alpha, he needed advice. He never intended to be in so deep with Shiro. He probably should’ve said no to basically being his bodyguard, but something compelled him to acquiesce. He didn’t expect anything in return from him, and at first, he tried to tell himself that he was simply doing this as an act of kindness for a new friend.

Krolia answered the door almost immediately, and she genuinely looked excited to see him. Keith almost felt bad, knowing that he’d been reclusive with her when she returned home from overseas. “It’s so good to see you, Keith.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he hummed and settled inside with him. “Sorry I haven’t been seeing you as much. Work’s got me pretty busy.”

“Well, how’ve you been?” They sat together on the couch. “You look good.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ve been eating all my meals. And I… well, I actually came here for advice.”

As if that was an open invitation, Krolia suddenly changed her posture, looking intrigued with a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Of course. What seems to be the trouble?” She watched his face. “Have you met someone?”

“Well…” His face reddened. “…kinda.”

“What’s their name?” Her face lit up. “How interested are you? Are they nice?”

“See, that’s the thing. I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong with me being attracted to this Omega.”

“What makes you say that?”

He hesitated. “He’s uh… he’s pregnant.”

“Keith.” Krolia frowned, ruffling up. “Do you know how dangerous it is to be interested in a mated Omega?”

“But he’s _not_ mated. He’s widowed,” he explained. “His mate passed away a few months ago. He’s been trying to find a new Alpha to help him raise his child, but it’s not going the way he’d hoped. I don’t feel attracted to him just because I feel bad. He’s genuinely nice, he’s successful, and he deserves to get everything he wants.”

She watched him fondly. “That’s very sweet and all, but you’re still young. There could be another Omega for you out there, one that you’ll get to mark first and raise a family with. It sounds like this Omega is a little older. If he’s as sweet as you claim, he’ll find another companion fairly quickly.”

He was taken aback. “But I don’t want Shiro to end up like dad.” He stood right up. “He doesn’t deserve that. You have no idea how hard that was for him.”

“No, I don’t. But I do know how hard it was to be away from you and your father during that time. I had to support you guys in any way I can. And I also know how important it is for an Alpha to find their own mate.” She reached out to touch his shoulder, and Keith let her. “There’s nothing wrong with being friends with him and wanting to support him, but you should try and find a mate that hasn’t been marked by anyone else first. You don’t want to step into such a serious relationship like that while you’re so young. Really think about it. Are you ready to be a father? Are you ready to take on something as huge as being a parent? That is what a relationship with this man would imply.”

He frowned as he really thought about it. He never really wanted kids. That was the whole point of him being reclusive and only seeing Omegas for pleasure and public service. As much as he didn’t want to admit this, his mother was right. He would have to take her word for it.

“I guess you’re right. And… there really is nothing wrong with me just supporting him as a friend? He seems to get that idea from me anyways,” he said. “He actually asked me to help him with his date. He wants me to make sure that things go well with this Alpha tonight. With that, I don’t really have that… y’know, that protective instinct that everyone talks about.”

She nodded. “That’s perfectly okay. That just means you’re not ready for something like that, and you’re still young. Clearly, he trusts you, and I know you’re a good man. Just remember to be careful, okay?”

“I will, Mom.” He sighed. “I’m sorry for all that. But thank you.”

“It’s alright.” She held her arms out, and Keith willingly moved closer for a hug. “Tell me more about Shiro.”

He blushed. “He’s a veteran too, like you. And he’s an emergency room doctor at Marmora Medical.”

“What a busy guy,” she grinned. “For what it’s worth, he does sound like a good guy.”

He looked out the window. From his apartment he could faintly see Marmora Medical from miles away. He knew Shiro was probably working there right now, tending to each patient like his life depended on it even with the obvious stress he’d have just thinking about his unborn child. He was probably growing tired too, but not once did he ever complain while Keith was his patient. Well, save for his own insufferable prying. He did deserve the world, and Keith felt that strongly.

He faintly realized as he was staring out that Krolia had spoken to him, and he had a dazed smile on his face. “Yeah. He is.”

\--

 _The last time Keith went to_ Altean Bar was about a month earlier for a one-night stand. It was nice to be here just to relax. Well, if he could really _call_ it relaxing. He showed up at the bar about an hour before Shiro and Sendak arrived, keeping himself comfortable while nursing a drink at a barstool. When they stepped inside, he saw Shiro wearing that nice black shirt he picked out the other day with him.

Sendak was the typical Alpha. He was as strong as he looked, towering even over Shiro, who wasn’t exactly a small Omega to begin with. Everything about him seemed to hit all the right buttons for a good provider, but only time would tell.

Shiro looked comfortable, but he was being discreet about maneuvering around with his baby belly. They ordered their dinner and were talking casually. Things seemed to go well. Keith was glad that Shiro was comfortable.

He took another sip of his drink as he saw Shiro laugh, his smile genuine. They shared their drinks; Shiro had a water with lemon. Sendak was smiling with him and making generous gestures while talking. It was around this time while watching Shiro when he thought he wasn’t looking that he truly realized how gorgeous he was. He had this natural glow and perfect demeanor. The fact that any Alpha would think otherwise of him was blasphemous.

They were eating their dinner, and Shiro was taking rather large mouthfuls of his meal. That was something that Sendak most likely commented on, because Shiro suddenly blushed and did his best to clean his face with a napkin. That stump was over as quickly as it began, though, and they kept talking to one another. He really did seem like a good guy. But that was when the date took a wrong turn.

Shiro dropped the bombshell. Keith read his lips: _“I’m pregnant.”_ He watched the other Alpha grow taken aback. He didn’t look pleased, and that was when Keith started to get out of his seat. He generously paid the bartender, and at the same time Sendak was standing up from his chair. As he got closer, he started to hear what he said.

“You’re seriously going after other Alphas when your mate’s body isn’t even cold yet?” he snarled. “Unlike you, I have standards, and I don’t have a hidden agenda.”

“N-no, please. Sendak!” Shiro started to stand to go after him. He tried to reach out, but Sendak snatched his arm away and walked off.

Keith started to feel a strange fire burning inside. How dare he. Even knowing what he was going through, he had the nerve to aggressively move away. He bared his teeth. “I’ll take care of him.”

“Don’t.” Shiro slumped down in the seat again, tears starting to form in his eyes. “It’s okay… He’s right.”

“Don’t listen to him,” he muttered, sitting across from him. “Shiro, you’re not doing anything bad.”

“Yes, I am!” he suddenly snapped. “I shouldn’t be… trying to find another Alpha and sleeping with people. I-I can’t believe I’m doing this to Adam.” He was getting himself worked up, and he tried wiping his eyes.

“You’re doing nothing wrong,” he repeated gently. “You’re doing what’s best for your kid. You should be commended for that. All you want is to let them have another parent in their life. I wish my mom was around when growing up…”

He shook his head and sniffled. “I-I’m giving up.” He was left with the bill, and no matter how many times Keith offered to help pay for it, Shiro refused and did it all himself. “I appreciate you helping me, but I should’ve never tried finding another Alpha. I don’t need one.”

“And you’re right,” he insisted. “Do you live far?”

“No, my apartment’s a few blocks away.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Keith held the door open for Shiro, staying by his side while they walked together. “I know that you’re just looking after your kid’s best interests, but you need to think of your interests as well. Do you really want another Alpha right now? Is that something you’re comfortable dealing with, even if it’s just someone helping you with parenting?”

He watched his face. Shiro was really thinking about it, and despite trying to dry his eyes earlier, he didn’t have much luck keeping them that way. “No. I don’t… I just want my baby to have a good life.”

“They will, Shiro. Because you’re their father.”

His breath caught as he smiled faintly. “That’s… really sweet of you.” He looked over. “Really. Thank you for your help tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Keith felt his hand on his shoulder, and he did his best to hide his blush.

“Well. Here’s my stop.” Shiro teased with him and looked like he was feeling a little better. “Would you like to come up? I can show you the furniture I bought. And it looks like you haven’t eaten.”

“Eating is for the weak,” Keith joked.

“None of that. I’m a doctor,” he huffed and brought him up to his apartment.

It had two bedrooms and looked decently sized. Of course, Shiro could afford this type of place. Meanwhile, Keith had a studio because all he did was sleep in it, and despite how much money he saved living in it, he really didn’t think it was worth as much as it was. While he was sloppy and disorganized, Shiro’s place was very neat and clean, and there were pictures everywhere.

“Is that him?” He looked at a picture of Shiro with another man, smiling brightly while they were wearing their uniforms as they were close enough to each other to kiss. If that was Adam, he wasn’t that bad looking of a guy. It seemed like they were perfect together.

Shiro noticed where he was looking and nodded. “Yeah… That was our wedding day.”

He left that alone after that, and he noticed that there was a smaller picture right next to some wilted flowers. It was an ultrasound picture. “Hey look… It’s the baby,” he said with a smile.

He didn’t respond right away. He walked over next to him and took a deep breath. “At ten weeks… I had that done the day I found out he died. I was going to send it to him in a letter. I haven’t been able to go to another ultrasound since. In fact, I was supposed to have one a week ago, for the five month mark.”

“Don’t you have to go to those?” Keith frowned.

“Not necessarily. I only _have_ to if there’s something wrong. Everything’s fine, so I don’t think I need to see them.”

“I’m sure you want to…”

“I can’t bring myself to,” he mumbled honestly, taking a nervous breath. “Keith, I’m so afraid. I only wanted another Alpha because… I didn’t want to do this alone. I mean, I know I have people around me, but it’s different when it’s your _mate._ A-and I just want my mate. It’s killing me every time I try to call for him when he’ll never answer.”

He sighed sadly and rubbed his back. “Please don’t cry, Shiro… I know how much you miss him. And I think Adam would be happy knowing that you’re happy. Right?”

“I guess so.” He wiped his eyes and looked away from the pictures. “Want something to drink? Coffee, water…” He led him inside, and Keith leaned against the cabinets.

“Just some water is fine.” He felt calmed by the warm scents in here. This was Shiro’s space, and he filled the entire apartment with it.

When he was given a cup, he stayed relaxed and watched Shiro make himself some tea. However, just as he was pouring the hot water into his mug, he suddenly went rigid. He’d nearly dropped the kettle during that brief episode.

“…Shiro?” Keith hurried to see what was wrong, which startled the Omega further. “Is everything okay?”

His eyes were wide as he looked down at his stomach. “Y-yeah. I think the baby just kicked…” He was winded.

“Really?” He smiled. Wait, Shiro was five months along, at the very least. Had he never felt the baby move before? “That’s perfectly normal though, isn’t it?”

There was a pause. “I never… felt that before. They never moved.” His muscles were visibly relaxing, and his hands moved to his belly. Keith noticed that he looked like he was about to cry again. “I thought something was wrong, o-or that they hated me.”

“Of course, they don’t. Shiro…” Keith took one of his hands as Shiro started to cry. “You’ve been doing what you know in your heart is best for them. You’re such a good father, Shiro.”

He whimpered softly, his hand on his belly now while he rubbed a specific part. “It’s hard to remind myself that sometimes.” He then let out a tiny gasp, shaking with excitement as he started to smile. “They did it again. It feels weird.”

“Wow.” He felt intrigued. “Can I…?”

“You wanna feel them?” As Keith nodded, his expression changed. He couldn’t understand it, but he didn’t seem mad. “Yeah, you can.” He felt a little shiver down his arm as Shiro took his hand. He slowly placed it on his belly, on that same spot he’d been rubbing. “They’re right here.”

He nodded and looked down at his belly. It was prominent and rounded, but he was still a little small. His hand almost completely enveloped the one side of it. “I can’t believe it. I-I mean, I know you’re the one pregnant and that you’ve been preparing for the baby, but this really is amazing.  Y’know, that a baby’s in there in the first place.”

“Hmm…” Shiro placed his hand on top of his, applying a gentle amount of pressure. “That’s exciting for me to think about, too. And my doctor said that they can hear sounds now. They can hear the sound of my voice.”

“Really?” he smiled faintly and gasped as he then felt a nudge. “Oh wow. I just felt it.”

He started to laugh, nodding while stepping back. “I know, it’s a little weird.”

“I actually think it’s pretty amazing.”

Keith could see his face light up, if only for a moment. He then cleared his throat and laughed shyly. “I think so too.”

“Now, are you going to show me the nursery?” He smiled gently. “I’d like to see it.”

“Oh!” He brought him over to one of the rooms. There wasn’t really anything in here, besides the furniture. The crib was in the corner by the door. There was a bookshelf, changing table, and a dresser. All of them had the same black wood finish that the rest of the house had. Knowing his attention to detail and how almost compulsory it was to keep everything in the apartment matching was rather endearing. “See, there isn’t really anything in it.”

“There will be soon,” Keith assured him. “I like it a lot.”

“Thank you. Allura did too.” He smiled and kept a hand on his belly again. “I’m not the least bit ready, but I’m already counting the weeks down. I just want them to be here.”

“I know. But they still need some more time.” The more that he was with Shiro, the more that he found his feelings were growing. Not just for Shiro, but for the kid too. He had to keep his mother’s warnings fresh in his mind. He wasn’t ready to be a dad. He was _not_ ready to be a dad.

“Right.” He smiled. “Okay, I’m getting kinda tired. I’m glad you stopped by, though.”

“I am, too,” he nodded and shook hands with him. “Now, I’ll see you next time. I noticed that you accepted my request on Facebook.”

“I noticed that you were also friends with Pidge and Matt. Plus, you seem nice enough.”

“Just nice enough?” he teased.

He sputtered and looked down. “Oh, you know what I mean!”

Keith nodded with a smile. They stood by the door, and he started to let himself out. “Good night, Shiro.”

“Good night.”

While Keith stepped out onto the street, a big realization hit him like a ton of bricks. That moment at the bar… when he had the slightest inkling that any harm would come to Shiro or that he was in any danger. That was that _feeling_ Alphas got when their mates were in trouble. And he felt that way thinking about both Shiro and his baby.

“Oh, fuck…” He was not ready to be a dad at all, but he sure as hell wanted to be.

He just had to try a little harder at killing these feelings.


	5. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro was slowly falling in love... but did Keith not feel the same way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small trigger warning for a minor traffic accident at the end of this chapter!  
> Also, a brief explanation. I HC omegas being intersex and/or exclusively having afab genitalia. Afab language badly triggers my dysphoria, so I'm sorry if descriptions I have with sexual stuff might be a little confusing.
> 
> **Another important update concerning my writing productivity!** For those who don't know, I was in a freak accident at work, and I injured my shoulder pretty badly. It's in my dominant arm too, and I can barely do anything with it right now. Not even the most basic of tasks. I have to get tests done and see more doctors, but the process is difficult bc of workman's comp. So until further notice, I will unfortunately not post any new content. However, the good news with this fic is that it's 95% complete, so I just have to do final proofs with what I have. This does mean though that my update speed will decrease significantly while I heal. Thank you so much for understanding, and thank you for your support!

_Since the first time Shiro felt_ the baby kick, he’d been feeling them a lot more. Their favorite time to kick was late at night when it was just the two of them in bed together. They became much less of a foreign concept to him and more like a tangible thing for him to look forward to in the future. That night after his shower, he stayed on his bed and just talked to his baby. Dr. Balmera helped him come up with different things to say.

She encouraged him to be open about the future with his child, since now they could start getting a sense of who he was based on his voice and what he told them. It was also her idea to start playing more music around the apartment while he’d walk around or clean, giving the baby an environment more vibrant and full of life.

His toned muscles were long gone now, replaced by added weight and a new plump exterior. But he didn’t care. He loved his baby, and anything that his body had to go through to keep them alive was worth it.

“My baby…” he murmured gently as he was resting, getting ready to fall asleep. “It’s just you and me, hm? Us against the world… Wanna hear Daddy talk?”

He got his phone out again. It was probably a stroke of luck that he and Adam recorded a video after finding out about the baby. They recorded it so that they could share it with them when they were older, but he liked to play Adam’s portion for them all the time.

_“What should I say?”_ Adam laughed in the video.

_“Just say hi.”_

_“Hi, little baby… it’s Daddy. You’re not born yet, but I can’t wait to meet you. I bet you’re gonna be perfect, just like your papa.”_

_“Adam!”_ Shiro laughed to himself as he remembered how flustered he was. _“You have your looks, too!”_

_“Aw, he’s modest,”_ Adam grinned. _“That’s all I have for you now. But I’ll see you soon. I love you.”_

He gently wiped his eyes and smiled as the baby fidgeted. He rested his hand on the spot he felt the movements, and he closed his eyes. “I love you too…”

\--

_He awoke with a start after_ being reminded of a rather embarrassing encounter with one of the Alphas he was with before Sendak. He’d realized he’d fallen asleep while the last frame of the video he’d just watched before bed was still up. Adam’s smiling face as he just finished blowing a kiss. It must’ve been the image in his mind’s eye when he’d screamed out the wrong name during sex.

_“Adam, Adam!”_ he’d whined, with a man named Curtis thrusting deep inside him.

Another man who showed a vague interest after finding out he was pregnant, Curtis seemed nice enough until he was too flustered during the act to continue. He’d left Shiro hanging in the hotel room, apologizing profusely that he just couldn’t take it. Well, neither could Shiro. He didn’t like when his anxiety conjured up the secondhand embarrassments and utter humiliation from past events, whether they were very recent or from a long time ago. And being reminded of that night with Adam’s smiling face shown on his phone, it was an extra blow to his psyche.

Iverson was who got the ball rolling in his strewn line of Alphas. Finding a match was a skill he was generally subpar at. Between him and Curtis, there were one or two men with charming faces, but he couldn’t remember their names with Adam’s memories heavily influencing his brain. Sendak was the last one he tried to be with, and while he was grateful that he was the only date where things didn’t escalate sexually, he was distraught that his pregnancy was a deal breaker, rather than a turn on. Sendak had pushed him away so easily, like they hadn’t been talking to each other for several weeks before meeting face to face.

He could never do this again, after that. He was never going to find an Alpha in that way. If he found one naturally, then that would’ve been fine. If he never found one at all, then that would be fine, as well. Keith helped him see that it didn’t matter if his child had a second parent. He could raise him just fine on his own. He wasn’t going to let societal pressure or stigma keep him from becoming the best parent he could be.

_\--_

_The radio played pretty loud in_ his car, but the reward for that was a whole host of activity. Shiro had a smile on his face on his ride to work, his windows open wide. Even when it was starting to get chilly out, he was starting to feel a little hot. People thought he was crazy, but their opinions didn’t really matter to him.

When he went to work he stepped right into his joint office with Dr. Holt. Inside he found lots more flowers and gifts for the baby than usual. His heart soared as he walked over to his desk, finding a note right in front.

 

_Shiro,_

_Congratulations on hitting six months! You’re almost there! One flower bouquet for each month as a reminder of how much you’ve gone through to keep your baby thriving. I hope to see you soon, and here are some extra toys to decorate the nursery._

_Sincerely,_

_Keith_

His face darkened. Keith was so sweet… It was hard to not feel an attraction to him. But he needed to be stronger than that. He wasn’t going to be with an Alpha just because he was lonely. Keith didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. However, there wasn’t anything wrong with admiring from afar. Gathering up the toys, he set them aside in their own pile so he could properly put them away later.

“Have you seen your admirer lately?”

Startled, Shiro turned his head quickly and looked over at the door. Pidge and Lance were grinning mischievously at him. “N-no. We just text each other.”

“Look at how romantic he is, Shiro!” Hunk happened to be passing by the office when he saw them, waving and going right back to work afterwards.

Pidge huffed. “Shiro does _not_ need an Alpha!”

“Pidge is right. I don’t,” he hummed as he reached to grab the letter again. He read it to himself silently with a smile. “But…”

“Shiro!” she groaned. “Haven’t you learned enough from all the Alphas you’d been seeing? And you wanna go to _Keith?_ He only does one-offs with Omegas.”

“What?” He blinked and rubbed his arm. “What difference does that make? I’d been doing one-offs with Alphas. Not wanting to be with him for that would make me a huge hypocrite.”

Lance sighed. “Yeah, but he _still_ does that. Most Omegas and even Betas in the inner city know him by _scent._ He’s not exactly the committed type.”

“But he… he hasn’t made that a goal with me.” He looked down. “He doesn’t have a hidden agenda like that with me. He’s just helping me with the baby, like Allura is.”

“Sometimes pick-up Alphas can do weird things to get with an Omega.”

“Helping a friend get items for their baby isn’t weird, Lance!” he snapped. “He’d never do that.”

“I mean, it’s kind of weird.” He shrugged. “You didn’t even know him before now. You weren’t really friends with Keith at all until two months ago. Probably less than that. Isn’t it a little strange that he already got to know so much about you _and_ has been to your place?”

Pidge shrugged. “I mean, he does have a point.”

“He’s not like that,” he huffed stubbornly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have patients to tend to.”

He stopped listening to their protests as he walked off. He had to be in the emergency room all day, and there were different assignments he needed to take care of. He also got the news that Dr. Holt invited him to go to a convention in another city with him. With his path to developing his own practice being well on the horizon, he was going to be Dr. Holt’s shadow throughout the entire convention to make sure he had the whole experience. It was supposed to be a long bus ride, so he was going to be uncomfortable because of his pregnancy. That could be a reason why people wouldn’t want him to go, but he hoped that Holt would be a little more merciful than that.

\--

_“Thanks for taking me out.” Shiro_ smiled and happily took a sip from his signature lemon water. He was out with Allura, Matt, Dr. Holt, and Coran. They were kicking off the departure for the convention, which was this Thursday. He was excited to go, and everyone was so supportive of him moving forward with his career.

“Of course! You deserved to be a part of this too.” Matt took a shot after he spoke, and he promptly choked on the burn.

Shiro admitted that he wished he could drink along with them right now, but he would never even think of taking that kind of risk in his condition. He looked at Dr. Holt. “I already just want to go. Why can’t it be Thursday already?”

“It’ll be time soon,” he insisted gently. “Don’t want to stress yourself out thinking about it, Takashi.”

“Right.” He huffed and went back to his meal. Coran and Allura ordered another round of drinks, and meanwhile his mind was wandering. He looked at the different faces in the crowds of people around the bar until he saw a familiar one. There he was, perched on the other side of the bar after talking to a tender.

Keith had another shot and had a grin stretching from ear to ear. It looked like something was getting his attention that Shiro couldn’t see, and he was looking the other way with a pleased smile before walking off.

“Keith!” He got up as quickly as he could, having to hobble over thanks to the swelling in his ankles. The pain from that didn’t matter to him at that moment. He wanted him to join in on their fun.

“Shiro?” Allura’s voice was nearly right behind him. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back in a minute!” He walked off. “Keith?” He didn’t see him anywhere, which left him perplexed. Getting up though made him realize how much he really needed to use the bathroom. “Shit…” He stepped inside the restroom, freezing at hearing telltale noises.

Keith had some other Omega pushed up against the sinks. He was kissing his neck, the Omega letting out rushed and quiet whines while his arms were around him. Shiro was stunned to silence. He’d thought for sure that Keith was trying to court him. He wanted to believe that maybe he wanted to take this seriously with him. But if he did, then why was he still hooking up? He genuinely thought that Keith was courting him.

It only lasted a couple moments, because his presence despite saying nothing must’ve startled them. They pulled away, and Keith turned his head with a sigh. When he locked eyes with Shiro, he noticed that Keith was losing color to his face.

Shiro came in here for a reason. Too embarrassed to face him right now, he went into one of the stalls and slammed the door behind him. He could hear them talking while he was doing his business, and his eyes started to water.

“You didn’t tell me you were mated!” There was a loud slap after that cry.

“No, no, he’s not my mate. He doesn’t have one.”

“A pregnant Omega doesn’t have a mate?”

It stung. Shiro stayed silent.

“B-but it’s true, he’s not my mate!”

“Pig!” The Omega stormed off.

Shiro sniffled, afraid to leave his stall. When he finished up, he flushed and stepped out, not expecting Keith to still be by the sinks. He tried to ignore him and washed his hands, struggling to dry his eyes.

“Hey, Shiro? I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” He took a deep breath to keep more tears at bay. “You said it yourself. We’re not mates. And the dynamic we have is not a committed one. That’s okay.”

“It sure doesn’t sound like you really are okay with it,” Keith said slowly. “I just want you to know that everything that I’ve done with you and for you never had an ulterior motive. We’re friends, Shiro. That’s what I’d been hoping for you. I would never do anything to hurt you. I know how strong of an Omega you are, and I’d never hook up with you like that.”

Did that also mean that he would never want to be with him that way? He seemed to completely skirt around the fact that he subtly admitted that he had wanted a commitment with him. Did he not understand? Maybe it was a good idea to just leave it be. He nodded and turned away from him. “Right. W-well, good. Thank you. People are waiting for me outside. I’d better go.”

“Shiro, wait…”

He walked out and walked back over to his table. Allura immediately noticed that something was wrong. She walked over, and that was when his hormones got the better of him.

“What happened?” she frowned. “Shiro, what’s wrong?”

“I was wrong about Keith…” His lip quivered. “I thought that he’d been courting me and wanted to be with me. It gave me hope that I could really move on with someone. But I just saw him with another Omega. He just hooks up with people, and I don’t think he has any interest in me like that.”

“Shiro…” she frowned and gave him a hug. “Don’t let him ruin your fun. Come sit back down.”

“B-but I really thought he cared for me like that. I wish that he did. I really liked him.”

Allura helped him sit back down. “I know. But remember, you’re stronger than that. Show your baby what a strong Omega looks like, okay?”

He nodded slowly and wiped his eyes. “Okay.”

Shiro and the others continued to eat, but he was less enthusiastic about celebrating now. The rejection hurt, but he knew he was going to move passed this in time.

\--

_“Thank you all for coming. It’s_ imperative that we have our attention geared towards finding more innovated ways to distribute medicine and save lives.”

Shiro felt a little awkward sitting among various distinguished doctors and other medical students. He was the only Omega here, and he could feel some sort of tension just sitting here. Dr. Holt made him feel better, though, and he just kept close to him for most of the conference. He was so happy to be here, knowing that all of this information was going to help him become a better doctor.

“Are you considering a specific practice, Shiro?” He heard Dr. Holt ask him during the talk.

He broke away for a moment to answer him, so engrossed in the discussion that he didn’t realize that whatever Sanda was talking about was more mundane than anything else. “I think I want to be a pediatric doctor. Funny thing about that is when I first started schooling I’d wanted to be a cardiologist.”

“There’s always room for both fields. You can also specialize in pediatric cardiology, so you’d have the best of both worlds. You still have plenty of time to come to your own decision.”

“Yeah.” He smiled faintly. “I think it would be stereotypical, though, for me to end up wanting to work with children now that I’m having my own baby.”

“So? Do what you love, Shiro,” he insisted. “Besides, knowing that you’ll have a child of your own could lead you on the path of being a very successful pediatric doctor.”

“Right… Thank you, Dr. Holt.” He smiled, holding his belly and turning his attention back to the conference. He was taking notes, and he’d been working closely with the whole program despite everyone’s judgmental eyes on him. He always had to prove that he was more than his Dynamic, and now he had to prove that just because he was pregnant doesn’t mean that his skills were hindered in any way, shape, or form. He was always pretty consistent with that.

He was so grateful that Dr. Holt brought him here. It felt good to still take part heavily in his career. And that he didn’t have to prove to anyone.

At the end of the day, he settled in his hotel room. When he was alone, he couldn’t help but start thinking about Keith. He’d thought for sure that something was starting between them, and he was starting to think that he was the only one that would care of him and his baby the way that Shiro wanted him to.

To stave his worries, he tried to take a bath. It was awkward trying to adjust himself in the tub with all his extra weight, but he managed. The water was nice and warm, and it soothed his aches. He closed his eyes tried to clear his head, but the moment he did he saw images that he’d previously hoped were pushed far back into his subconsciousness.

He pictured Keith on top of him, his hips rocking against him with his large girth inside him.

Arousal sparked throughout his body. It took him several moments to build up the confidence to spread his legs. One of them ended up over the edge of the tub. Although they had their issues, Shiro couldn’t think about it while wanting to touch himself.

He let his hand roam free between his legs, eyes shut the whole time so he could indulge in his fantasy shamelessly. While his fingers played with his dick and his hole, he imagined it was Keith’s hand, his mouth, his cock… His sex quivered and clenched around his fingers at the thought.

_“Shiro, you’re so perfect… I love you.”_

“F-fuck… Keith!”

He covered his mouth, ashamed of what Keith told him in his fantasy. It was enough, however, to make him come, and his eyes watered. He muffled his blissful noises and was shaking in the bath.

He couldn’t ignore his innermost desires, no matter how hard he tried. At this moment, he didn’t know if he should hate Keith for giving him these false hopes for a bright future with him, or if he still loved him as much as he did before his hopes were dashed.

 

\--

 

> **New Messages**
> 
> **From Keith: Hey Shiro it’s me. Please call me.**
> 
> **From Keith: Shiro please**
> 
> **From Keith: I’m sorry.**

_Shiro sighed shakily as he put_ his phone away. He sat there in the back row on the bus, with Dr. Holt sitting further up. He just wanted to be by himself, and Keith’s texts were the first things he’d read. He didn’t know what to believe with Keith right now, and he’d been sitting on talking to him ever since that night he walked into that restroom.

He looked out the window when they were at a red light. He knew he shouldn’t be ignoring Keith like this, but he just needed space. When he was ready, he would talk to him. But at the same time, he didn’t know when he was going to be ready.

With all this on his mind, he was in his own little world and was completely unprepared.

He felt a rough crash right behind him that nearly threw him out of his seat.

Everyone was clamoring as the bus came to a halt. Shiro panicked and struggled to get up so he could look out the window. A pickup truck disregarded their protected turn and slammed right into them.

“Shiro?!” Shiro held the seat as Dr. Holt called to him. He was rushing to the back of the bus to check on him. “Shiro, are you alright?”

“I-I think so… nothing’s broken,” he started nervously. His hand was right on his belly, and in that moment all he felt was utter fear. _He_ was fine. But what about his baby?

“We have to get you to the hospital, just to be safe,” he murmured and helped him to the front of the bus. “Someone call 911! He’s been jostled.”

“Everyone’s been jostled,” a disgruntled old man remarked. “What makes him so special?”

His eyes started to water as he still held himself. It stung to know that people didn’t care, not really because of his own health. His child was the most important thing in the world to him. Thinking that no one else felt that same type of concern was killing him. “My baby…” The more he thought about it, the more that he grew scared. And the stress and panic of that wasn’t making him feel any better. He didn’t want to have any problems with them, and he hoped they were alright. Odds were, they were going to be, but there was always that fraction where absolutely anything could go wrong.


	6. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith couldn't run and hide anymore. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life without Shiro. He was in love, and he hoped that Shiro felt that way, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kind comments and support after my last update! The bad news is that medical staff never diagnosed my injury, so I'm just kinda dealing with it and going through a lot of pain while still working full time. However, the good news is that the pain is slowly getting better. I just wish that the doctors I saw were less dismissive (and in one case, borderline transphobic, but that's a topic for another day). Thank you everyone!
> 
> I have this update for you, and I want to churn out another one as well bc I've been so excited after being very close to hitting one of my primary goals IRL! I hope you enjoy.

_Keith nursed his drink in the_ middle of the bar. Since getting caught, he stopped seeing other Dynamics. He couldn’t imagine himself with anyone else anymore. None of them mattered to him the way that Shiro did. He knew that it was perfectly okay that he was with a different person. After all, they weren’t together. However, he couldn’t get that hurt expression out of his head. If Keith built trust and a good bond with Shiro that was strong enough to want a relationship, he must’ve lost it by now. He just wanted nothing more than to give him everything that he needed.

Keith’s mother assured him that the protective urge he had during the date was just a natural reaction to have for a friend. Everyone looked out for someone that they worried about the most in their lives. That didn’t necessarily mean that he was in love or wanted to spend the rest of his life with this person. He had to regain his focus. Shiro didn’t have the time for that type of stress concerning courting. He had a _baby_ to prepare for.

“Doing okay?” Regris asked him as he sat next to him. They were drinking together with Antok.

He shook his head. “He hasn’t been answering my calls or texts. I was sending some things today. Just to say that I was sorry.”

“Keith, not again…” Antok sighed. “You shouldn’t be worrying about it so much. You’ll get over it. Besides, you don’t need that type of baggage.”

He tensed. “He’s not just baggage. He’s a good man, and he deserves nothing but the best.”

“Or maybe he’s just trying to lure you in.”

“Regris,” he snarled warningly.

Antok threw his arms up. “Keith, listen to yourself. Someone like him isn’t meant to be with someone like you.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It just means that you’re more carefree and don’t settle down, and that guy’s only in it for a father figure so his kid doesn’t grow up with his own daddy issues.”

“You take that back!” Keith stood right up with an aggressive growl. “He’s not like that!”

“Jeez, you’re taking this way too seriously!” he frowned. “Keith, have another drink.”

Keith would not let up, still glaring at the two of them.

“Yeah, c’mon, Keith…” Regris sighed and looked over at the TV, taking a swig of his liquor while focused on whatever was suddenly flashing on the screen. “Damn. Some pickup truck rammed right into a bus.”

“What?” Keith looked up and saw the breaking news story. He couldn’t help but scoff, distracted for a moment. “What a dumbass.”

The reporter was still talking. _“Traffic will be backed up on Main Street for the next half hour. We’re confirming damages from the accident as they come in. Twelve people were injured in the crash, including a pregnant Omega that we’re waiting on his condition. A male colleague of his said that reportedly he felt fine, but regardless he was sitting just a few feet from the area of impact.”_

His eyes widened.

That was the city Shiro was at for the conference.

He had only one male colleague with him.

It would be just like him to say that he was fine, even when he was in agony.

Shiro was in the hospital.

_“…He felt fine, but regardless he was sitting just a few feet from the area of impact.”_

There was only one thing on his mind: _Go to him._

He had to _go._ He quickly gave the bartender money and struggled to get out of his stool. He heard Regris and Antok question him in confusion, but he was already running. He was sprinting to the door, and in that split second where he realized he’d been drinking, he cursed while hurrying to get a cab driver’s attention. There was no time! He had to go _now!_

“Taxi!” He snapped while waving his hand for the eighth time. “Dammit!”

“Keith!” Antok finally caught up with him. “Keith, where are you going?!”

“Shiro was on that bus! I don’t care what you pieces of shit say. I’m going to him, because I love him!” Hearing himself say these words out loud made him feel a little anxious, but he had never felt more sure of that in his life. “I need to know he’s okay.”

He sighed as he watched him. “Oh, Keith…” He frowned. “Listen. I’m sorry. I know that I’ve been too harsh, but I’m not going to stop you. He’ll know that you truly care about him if you go to him now. If he loves you as much as you love him, then he probably wants to see you right now.”

He nodded quickly, and a cab finally pulled up for him. “Thank you.” He rushed into the seat. “Arus Medical Center, please.”

\--

_It felt more like an hour_ during this thirty-minute drive, and the cab driver was possibly the worst driver he’d ever seen. But he didn’t care. He desperately wanted to see Shiro, and it didn’t matter if he died on the way to see him again, as long as he knew that Shiro and the baby were going to be okay. He was so incredibly anxious, ever since he saw the news.

He rushed inside and was stopped almost immediately by security. He growled while being restrained. “Let me go! I need to see Shiro!”

“Sir, you need to calm down,” one of them muttered.

“I can’t until you take me to him! Where is he?!” He hated that Shiro was stuck in another town with people that he didn’t know. He couldn’t imagine how stressed and upset he was. He just wanted to be there to protect him and take care of him. That was the only thing on his mind right now, and these stupid security guards were in the way!

“Hey, let him go!” An older man was approaching them, and Keith realized that it was Dr. Holt. “He knows us.”

They were reluctant to release him, but when they did, Keith ran up to Dr. Holt. “Where is he? Is he okay?”

“He’s still being checked on. He was jostled during the accident, but he’s not injured. They have to check on the baby, though. They could have received injuries or have been through extreme distress.”

Keith felt his chest tighten. He didn’t care that the baby wasn’t biologically his. That wasn’t the first thing on his mind. In that instant, he loved them and feared for them as if they were his own child. He wanted this baby to be okay. “A-alright. When will they be done?”

“It should be soon,” he insisted. “I think he’d really want to see you.”

He had a hard time believing that. Shiro looked so heartbroken the last time he saw him. He paced the floor and did his best not to break down crying. “Fuck…”

He knew Dr. Holt was watching him. “You really do care for him, don’t you?”

He looked up and tried drying his eyes. “I love him.”

Dr. Holt nodded and smiled faintly. “Just be patient with him. He likes you, as well. But it’s hard for him to settle down with a new Alpha.”

“I know. I just hope that when I go into the room he’ll want to speak with me,” he mumbled. “I’ve… tried so hard not to feel the way that I do about him. Everyone was telling me that I was too young to be in a relationship like this and that I wasn’t ready to be a dad. But I don’t care about what they say. I want to be with him, and I want to be there for that baby.”

“He’d love to hear that… of course, when you’re ready to tell him that.” They walked together when the doctor finally stepped out of the room. Keith could still feel his heart pounding, and he tried to relax.

“How is he?” Dr. Holt asked first.

“He’s resting now in recovery. Everything is fine, and the baby is okay. We want him to stay here for twenty-four hours before he can go home.”

“That’s alright,” he insisted gently. “I’m just glad he’s alright.”

Keith sighed in relief and ran his hand through his hair. “Thank goodness…”

“You can see him now,” she also said. “We told him to have an ultrasound when he meets with his obstetrician.” It took Keith a moment to realize that the doctor was talking to him. “You’ll find out about the baby more, and I’m sure you’d love to see them.”

People had thought that Shiro and Keith were mates already several other times before. This time, though, he didn’t protest or try to say that they weren’t together. He wanted to be a part of the baby’s life. He smiled faintly, managing to dry his eyes. “Okay. I’ll make sure he does that.”

“Good,” she smiled. “He’d told me that he hasn’t had one since the first one, so it’d be a good idea for him to have someone with him if he chooses.”

He nodded. Meanwhile, Dr. Holt was already entering the room, and he hurried in after him. For now, he stayed in the doorway and watched Shiro. He was propped up in the bed and looked exhausted. He could tell that he’d been crying, and his heart went out to him. He wanted to comfort him and tell him that everything was going to be okay, but he knew better than to jump right into being affectionate.

“I’m glad you’re doing well,” Dr. Holt murmured. “You’ll have to take it easy now. Cut your study time and your appointments.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Shiro mumbled and finally looked up. “…Keith? What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Shiro.” He smiled and walked over. “Thank goodness, you’re okay.”

He noticed that he looked nervous, and his heart ached. “Everything’s fine… You didn’t have to come.”

“I wanted to,” he assured him, gently taking his hand. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew anything bad happened to you or the baby. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

He frowned. “Keith, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one that’s sorry. I shouldn’t have put so much weight onto you. I just… I-I misread our friendship, and that’s my own fault. I’m okay with the way things are, and I don’t want to ruin what we have now.”

“I understand,” he murmured respectfully. One day he would be able to tell Shiro he loved him, but now wasn’t the time. “Just know that I’m here for you. I always will be, okay?”

He nodded tiredly as he lay there, smiling at him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Shiro,” he hummed and held his hand. “How’s the baby?”

“Healthy,” he whispered. Relief was dripping from his voice. “I think they’ve missed you, too.”

“Really? Well, I’ve definitely missed them.” Keith leaned down and rested his head on his belly, relaxing there. He noticed that Shiro had a fond look on his face, but Keith was so preoccupied in spending time with the baby. “Hey there. You being good for your dad? When you come out, we can do lots of nice things for him. He really loves you…”

_I love you, too…_ He sighed wistfully when he felt a nudge against his cheek. It was followed by a harder jab, and he quickly moved back in surprise while Shiro started to laugh.

“Sorry. They’re starting to move around a lot more,” Shiro grinned.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “That’s exciting.”

“Except for when I’m trying to sleep,” he pouted and moved his hand to his belly. He yawned and started to shift on his side, humming softly. “I have to have an ultrasound, and I’m not too pleased about that. I’m too nervous and afraid.”

“Nothing bad will happen to you if you go,” he assured him gently. “And you know you have to go. You need to make sure everything’s okay.”

“I know…” He sighed sadly and looked over. “Will you come with me?”

He held his hand and smiled. “Yeah. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Okay.” He smiled, resting once more. “Tired…”

“Just rest now. And relax… Everything will be okay.”

“Mhm.” He was still smiling while he closed his eyes. “Thank you, Keith.”

As Keith looked behind him, he noticed that Dr. Holt was watching them. He had this bright smile on his face that made Keith’s face turn red. He knew. He knew how much he loved him and his baby. It was only a matter of time before he had the courage to confess.

\--

_It wasn’t a date. This wasn’t_ a date. Keith was just taking Shiro out to dinner so they could catch up. At least, that was what he was trying to tell himself. Shiro didn’t like him that way, and he didn’t expect him to. They were great friends, and Keith cared deeply for him.

He brought him inside the restaurant, and Shiro huffed as he slowly sat down in his seat. He looked up with a smile, sitting across from Keith. “Thanks for taking me out,” he hummed.

“Of course.” He watched him happily. “Get whatever you want. It’s all on me.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” he said shyly.

“I don’t mind.”

The server walked over to them. “Hi, guys. My name is Nyma, and I’ll be your server today. What would you like to drink?”

Keith immediately started to think of getting an alcoholic beverage. But when looking across the table at Shiro, he decided to make a better choice. “I’ll get an iced tea.”

He smiled. “And I’ll have an iced water with lemon.”

“Coming right up.” She walked away to grab them.

Shiro grinned as he looked at the menu. “Decisions, decisions…” he pondered. “Ooo, I’ll get the chicken.”

Keith found it so endearing that he picked the same thing when Nyma came back, even though he ended up later finding that the dish Shiro picked wasn’t exactly to his liking. They were talking to each other the whole time, the entire world being blotted out for a little while as they kept to their own devices.

“Keith?”

“Yes, Shiro?” He perked up from his dinner plate.

“You never showed me any pictures of your dog,” he teased. “After all this time, you can’t be shocked that part of me thinks he isn’t real.”

“Oh, he’s _definitely_ real,” he chuckled. He fished for his phone in his pocket and pulled up his album. “Here.” He showed him pictures of his dog. “That’s Kosmo.”

“Oh…” His eyes softened. “He’s precious.”

“Yeah, I love him,” he smiled as he put his phone away. “Without a doubt, he’ll like you too. Probably more than me.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he smiled. A moment passed before he brought up his next point. “So, the ultrasound appointment is in a week. If you decide you don’t wanna do it, I don’t mind. I’d just really would like someone to be there for me.”

“Why would I not be there?” he chuckled. “I’m here to help, Shiro.”

“Okay… Sorry, I’m still not used to someone helping me like that.”

“It’s alright.” Keith smiled while eating dinner. Shiro was nearly finished with food, eagerly enjoying it and practically humming in pleasure over how satisfied it made him. When he noticed that Keith was looking at him, he was blushing so darkly and trying to swallow what he currently had in his mouth. “S-sorry,” he mumbled shyly.

They laughed together, and Nyma came back over to refill Shiro’s water. His eyes were so bright, and Keith was just so glad he was having a good time. He started out this dinner insisting to himself that this wasn’t a date, but he liked the mild prospect of it.

“How’s the room coming along?” he asked curiously.

“Oh.” He smiled brightly. “I can’t really paint the room, but I added some decorative stickers of stars. You know, the ones that glow in the dark. And these bedsheets are so soft… It’ll be like they’re sleeping on a cloud.”

“As it should be,” he chuckled. “Did you pick a name yet?”

“Actually, yes,” he smiled. “Well. I think I did. Now that I’m thinking about saying it, it might be kinda dumb…”

“I’m sure it’s not dumb,” he chuckled. “No matter what name they have, it’ll fit them perfectly.”

He looked bashful, and he took a deep breath. “Akira.” He rubbed his arm. “It’s a unisex name, a family name… and the first initial is the same as Adam’s. So yeah, it’s kinda weird.”

_Akira…_ He smiled warmly. “It’s not weird at all, Shiro. I think that’s a great name.”

He blushed and hummed gently, hand on his belly with a soothing gesture. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “So, do you think about when they’re born?”

“I try to…” He looked away for a moment, biting his lip. “It’s hard. Part of me thinks I won’t be that good of a dad.”

“That’s nonsense,” he huffed. “You’ll be a great father.”

Shiro shrugged his shoulders, for a moment looking doubtful. “I can’t even think about what it’ll actually be like to _have_ a baby. And raise one. Before I got pregnant, the idea of having a baby was a foreign concept. Thinking about it, it’s kind of scary.”

“Well, let’s cover the basics.” He pursed his lips and started to ponder. “They’ll be sleeping a lot, wanting food all the time. Maybe you’ll nurse them, if you can do that.”

“I-if I can—” He sputtered on his drink and blushed darkly. “I’m not sure if I can, but I guess that’s a nice thought.”

He chuckled. “You’ll have to change them too, and I’m sure there’s a lot you can do with them when you’re home during the day. I hear that music and singing to the baby is a good way to bond.”

“Yeah. It is,” Shiro hummed, regaining his composure. “You know, I’ve never even held a baby before. I know it sounds crazy, but I never have. I was an only child. All my relatives were older. My friends all became doctors and haven’t started families yet.”

Keith gave a nod. “I’m sure there’ll be an opportunity for you to hold one before Akira’s born.”

“I doubt it…” He shyly looked down. “Well, I’ll have time to practice. My doctor wants me to take childcare classes and birthing classes, seeing as I have no experience.” He started to trail off, eyes lighting up. “You called them Akira.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “That’s their name.”

“Y-yeah, but now that I’m hearing it out loud in conversation, it sounds amazing,” he grinned.

“Good,” he chuckled. At the end of the night, he offered to pay the bill, much to Shiro’s dismay. And after that, he walked Shiro home. It was just up the street.

“You should’ve seen the look on the doctor’s face at Arus, when I told her I didn’t have a second ultrasound,” Shiro laughed as they were walking. “The look she gave me… it was like I committed Cardinal sin. I’m almost seven months pregnant, and I was supposed to have it two months ago.”

“Well, we’re going soon, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Keith insisted. “Better late than never, right?”

“Right,” he smiled, taking his hand. They walked together, and Keith felt their fingers intertwine together. “And I must say, you look terrific tonight.”

“Thank you.” He blushed and smiled. “My ankles are all swollen, and I’m gaining more weight, but that means a whole lot.”

“Yeah.” Keith hummed and stood in front of his apartment building. “Well, here’s your stop.”

Shiro nodded happily, holding hands while facing him. “I had a great time.”

“I’m glad,” he murmured.

He saw Shiro bite his lip, a big smile still on his face. “The ultrasound’s Friday. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.” As Keith moved closer, he noticed and caught a brief whiff of Shiro’s scent. It reminded him of blossoms, and with him being pregnant they mixed together wonderfully. The youthful aroma was intoxicating, probably more so tonight. He restrained himself, though. He’d wanted to kiss him.

Surprisingly, for him, Shiro did that for him.

He felt the other man’s lips against his own in a shy gesture. Keith couldn’t help but smile, pressing a firmer kiss. Shiro’s hand gently touched his face, and they quietly pulled away as mirrored blushes rose from their cheeks.

Shiro put his head down, avoiding Keith’s eyes as he took in a deep breath. “I have to go.”

“Good night, Shiro,” he smiled and held his hand. Shiro was reluctant to move away.

“Good night.” He kept looking back at him as he went up the steps. A smile was on his face as he went inside the apartment building.

Keith chuckled as he walked home. All he could think about was that kiss. He’d hoped that there was something new blossoming now. Things were slowly progressing and looking up. He called his mother once he got back to his apartment.

“So, you remember what you’ve said about Shiro?” he asked her when she answered. “And about how it’s better for me to be with someone younger and start my own life?”

_“Of course, I remember,”_ Krolia said on the other end. _“Why?”_

He smiled wistfully while getting ready for bed. “I don’t need to find someone my age or look further out. I’m in love with Shiro, and I want to raise his baby with him. I want to start a family with him.”

She sounded so surprised over the phone. _“You do? Well… I know I said the things that I did, but I do want to meet him. I’m so proud of you, Keith. I’m glad you made your choice.”_

“I’m glad to hear that,” he sighed in relief. “I can introduce you to him once we make things more official. But I can’t wait for you to meet him, Mom. He really is a good man. You’ll love him.”

_“I’m sure I will. I’ll see you both then.”_


	7. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything will be okay now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, some SEX.  
> I've been waiting so long to share this specific chapter, I just couldn't wait anymore! But this is the last one before I go cryptic for a little bit again.

_The night that Shiro walked back_ into his apartment after he kissed Keith, he might have cried. But it wasn’t because he was sad, by any means. He was so happy and never thought that he could feel this way again about another Alpha. He’d hoped that this wasn’t just a one-time thing, and that after the ultrasound it could lead to something more. But he kept his hopes low.

It was a little date, and it was most likely only one time. Regardless, he couldn’t help but imagine if this did lead to something more.

Honestly, he was still afraid of going to the ultrasound. It was incredibly long overdue, but he knew he had to make sure the baby was okay. And Keith did, too… Keith was so supportive. He was already using the baby’s name all the time. He thought he would be a great dad, if that was what Keith wanted.

Today was the day, and he shot Keith a text before getting off work. He was only allowed to work a few hours now, as he was getting closer and closer to going on parental leave. The ward his obstetrician was in was upstairs. As he was approaching the elevator, he saw a message saying that he was on his way.

His mood fell as he stepped into the elevator. Before, he was excited to see his baby, and now he was worried that something else would go horribly wrong while he was in that room. Maybe something bad would happen to Keith while he was on his way here. His mind raced as he thought about Adam’s death. He leaned back against the wall, hands around his middle. The ghost of his Alpha’s scent suddenly felt fresh against his face.

He thought of his soft smiles. He thought of the passionate night that caused his pregnancy, and how elated Shiro was to take his knot and be smothered by his embrace. He thought about his reaction to the baby, and part of him wondered what it would’ve been like if he was still alive. He wanted his mate back.

He sniffled as waves of nostalgia flooded him, and he covered his face while he panicked. Maybe something bad would happen to Keith. It was a big city, and traffic was terrible around here. He let out a wavering whimper.

When the doors opened, he was reluctant to step out. But down the hall he saw a familiar face that allowed him to feel relief again. Keith was smiling at him with open arms, but he faltered as Shiro approached.

“Hey… Shiro, why are you crying?”

“Y-you’re okay…” He hurried and hugged him tightly, choking on a sob. “Keith, you’re okay!”

“Of course,” he hummed while hugging him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I didn’t want anything bad to happen while I was on my way here. W-with the first time and Adam, I-I thought…”

“No, no…” Keith rubbed his back. “Everything’s okay. I know how hard it is. I know you’re scared. But I’m here, okay? I’m here now.”

Shiro nodded while drying his eyes. “Okay… O-okay. Let’s go in the room. I drank a lot of water before this, and if I cry anymore I’ll want to pee.”

Keith started to laugh, and he led him down to the room.

Dr. Ryner had always been supportive, but she seemed much more pleased when seeing he was finally having another ultrasound. She did a checkup on him first, making sure nothing about the baby’s progress had changed since the accident.

“This is a really big day for you,” Dr. Ryner insisted with a smile. “Better late than never, right?”

“Yeah.” Shiro blushed while laying back, relieved to feel Keith holding his hand and staying beside him. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“I’m sure it will be.” She looked at Keith. “And who’s this?”

“I’m his ma… well, actually, I’m his friend—”

“—My new partner.” Shiro looked over at him to see his reaction. He looked stunned, but he had nothing but warmth in his eyes. He held his hand. “He’s been taking care of me for the past couple months, and we recent have gotten together. I wanted him with me today.”

Dr. Ryner smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” She looked at Shiro again. “I’ll just step out for a moment to get the rest of your paperwork before we begin.”

As she walked out, Shiro had to take deep breaths again. There were still other things in his life that could happen while he was in here, and all of them could be bad. He held Keith’s hand together.

“You okay?” he heard Keith whisper.

“Keith, I can’t do it.” Shiro felt his eyes water. As they were waiting for the doctor to come in, his anxiety hit him all at once again. All he could think about was his last ultrasound. He remembered the joy he felt seeing his baby for the first time. And just mere hours later, he found out that his husband was dead.

He felt extreme panic, his hands shaking even as he held Keith’s hand. He couldn’t get rid of that memory, and he whimpered softly.

“It’s alright,” Keith crooned and kept close. “I know you’re scared, but nothing bad is going to happen. Everything will be fine.”

He sniffled and leaned back. “I’m gonna cry in front of the doctor.”

“And that’s okay. This is a big thing. It’s very exciting.”

He nodded slowly. The urge to kiss him for comfort was incredibly strong, but he fought it. “Thank you for being here.”

“Of course.”

Dr. Ryner came back in shortly after, and she walked over with a fond smile. “Are you ready now?” she asked, starting up the monitor and getting the wand for him. “You know, doing this a little later makes it even more exciting. The baby’s more developed. And you’ll be able to see the baby’s sex.”

He nodded and took a nervous breath. “Right. O-okay.” He lifted his shirt up, and right afterwards he hurried to hold Keith’s hand. “Okay…”

“Just relax,” Keith murmured. “You’re alright… Everything’s fine.”

His comforting words were soothing on their own, but Shiro shivered as he was lulled by the Alpha’s calming scent. He hummed as their fingers intertwined, and he turned his attention to his belly as the gel was rubbed on and the doctor started pressing the wand to his skin. He held his breath when hearing the heartbeat.

Shiro reluctantly brought himself to look. The baby wasn’t a small blob anymore. They looked like a little person now… _He_ looked like a little person.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor told him with a sweet smile. “His heartbeat’s perfect. He’s moving around a lot now, isn’t he?”

He was looking at the screen and barely heard her, and he briskly nodded. He didn’t even try to hold back his tears. That was his baby. That was his _son._ He was healthy and perfect. When the baby kicked, the impact could be heard on the sonogram, and Shiro couldn’t help but smile. He squeezed Keith’s hand, bringing himself to take his eyes off the screen for a moment so he could see him.

Keith’s eyes were glued to the screen, too, gaze soft and full of wonder. He knew that look. He was pleased and excited. He looked overjoyed. “Wow… Look at him.”

He was in love.

He loved his son.

Shiro brought Keith’s hand to his lips and kissed it, sniffling and holding his breath again. Some pictures were taken of the ultrasound, and he was almost disappointed that it was over. He could watch his baby all day, and he didn’t want this to end.

“Thank you,” Shiro told the doctor as they were finishing up. He held his pictures in his coat pocket, and he felt so excited.

“Of course. Keep taking care of yourself, and you should take your leave in a month.”

“Okay,” he hummed and hoisted himself up. Keith stayed right nearby. “Have a good day.”

He still held Keith’s hand, deep in thought as they walked to the elevator. He’d been searching outward for an Alpha to help him, eventually giving up when he realized it wasn’t a good idea. However, the Alpha he should’ve thought of to help him was Keith. Ever since they met he’d shown how much he cared. He was too good to him, and he never left his baby out of anything they talked about. He didn’t want to try and ask because he was young and needed to have his own experience, but he knew better now. He knew that Keith had these feelings, as well. He just wished that he went to him first.

“That was amazing,” Keith said with a grin while they stepped inside the elevator. He pressed the button for the ground floor. “I’m glad that you asked me to come.”

When the elevator doors closed, leaving the two of them alone, Shiro moved closer and leaned down. He waited for them to maintain eye contact before he kissed him. And as soon as their lips locked, Shiro gasped as Keith held his shirt to pull him even closer while kissing back.

He felt Keith’s arms around him, and his lips parted further to deepen the kiss. He felt the moan bubbling up from his chest before he heard it, and there was an instant spark.

Shiro panted while breaking the kiss and held his shoulders. “I love you…” He knew it in his heart. He’d been playing with the idea for a long while, but knowing that Keith loved his baby was enough for him to easily say it out loud. “Thank you for all your help.”

“And I love you.” Keith hummed, his hands on his belly. “And I love Akira, Shiro. I love him so much, as if he was my own.”

“I know.” He grinned and gave him another kiss. “I know you do.”

They would’ve gone back at it, if it weren’t for the elevator doors opening. They blushed and tried composing themselves as they stepped out of the hospital. They rushed back to Shiro’s car. They didn’t even wait to leave the parking lot, and they settled in the back seat. They faced each other and quickly kissed again, more rushed and passionate than the first.

The thrill of it all made his heart race, and he struggled to face him further with his belly in the way. Keith helped him relax into the back seat. They were already beginning to undress, and Shiro was so grateful he had tinted windows. Their breaths were rushed, and even with the chilly air outside it felt warm being in here with him.

His lips parted on shaky gasps as Keith kissed his neck, his hands slowly caressing his body without any regard for the scars littered across it. He held onto him desperately, deliriously nodding his head. He didn’t know what he was saying yes to, but he knew that whatever it was he wanted it _badly._

“Please,” he whined softly, staring down at Keith while he knelt down. He faintly realized he was undressed, stripped completely bare. Shiro wasn’t stupid. He knew that Keith had been with many Omegas. Shiro’s case was so different, that there was a moment where he was worried Keith would be put off by the sight of his round belly and huge scars. But of course, he wasn’t.

“You’re so beautiful,” he crooned and left kisses on his belly. He didn’t stop kissing when the baby kicked, and Shiro tilted his head back while a dark blush rose on his cheeks. He smiled so easily, and he felt Keith’s kisses trail down lower.

Lower…

_“F-fuck,”_ he gasped when feeling Keith’s mouth on him. He teased his first hole right between his legs, lips locking on it and giving him huge sparks of pleasure. Shiro couldn’t stop moaning. He reached down and quickly held his hair to keep him there, and his thighs quivered while Keith ate him out and teased his dick with his lips.

His eyes were wide, mouth hanging open for more moans to escape. He felt so hot all over that he was shivering, and he reached behind him to grip the back seat. His hips rocked on their own accord, lost to the rhythm of his lips and tongue.

“K-Keith…” He whimpered, overwhelmed by the aroused pheromones emanating from the Alpha. “Keith—f-fuck!”

His tongue pushed inside him, and he felt a finger ease in to join it. He tried to spread his legs wider if possible, breathing hard. He wished he could see him other than tufts of his soft, black hair, vision blocked by his round belly. He reached a hand down when his frustration grew to be too much, pushing his head closer to the source of pleasure.

Steam was fogging up the windows of the car. His encounters were with other Alphas were nothing compared to this. This reminded him of how loved he felt in his past life. It was nostalgic yet new, gratifying, and wonderful. _Wonderful._

He felt his hot breath on him, his lips, fingers, his tongue… It was all too much. Shiro’s panting grew heavier with each second. “P-please… Keith, please! I’m gonna—ahh!”

His heart thundered in his chest, threatening to break right through his ribcage. His whole body felt hot and electric, and after his warning he just went faster and faster…

“Fuck!” His thighs quickly closed around Keith’s head as his orgasm hit him hard. His entire body quivered, hands tightly gripping the seats beside him while his mouth hung open on loud whines and sobs of pleasure. Keith didn’t stop throughout the rippling waves, sending more electric shocks throughout his body. “F-fuck… Mmm fuck. Keith…”

He panted hard as Keith parted his legs again and pulled his mouth away. Slick was running down his chin, and he gave him this lazy yet aroused grin. “Baby, you’re so good…”

He whimpered, lip quivering as he tried to pull him closer. He didn’t care about the mess on his love’s face. He kissed him hard, like he’d die if he didn’t. Keith kissed back with the same fervor and kept his body close, when the cold really was starting to get to him.

“I’ll take you home,” Keith murmured against his lips, yet he made no attempt to move away.

He nodded as he started to sit up, and Keith gave him his clothes to redress. He was still very much aroused, wishing they could just stay like this all day. “Come inside with me,” he assured him. “Please?”

“Of course, Shiro.”

Once his clothes were on, he settled in his seat and was getting ready to drive. His legs were still shaking from his orgasm, and a smile was plastered to his face. He felt ten years younger. Every once in a while, he’d reach down to hold Keith’s hand, and he’d feel his fingers intertwine with his and not want to let go.

\--

He was shaking on his hands and knees, feeling Keith place kisses up his spine. Shiro’s breathing grew heavier, and he anticipated for what was going to come next. The Alpha possessively had his hands on his hips, and he turned his head to look behind him. Keith paused from his kisses to give him a tender smile, moving up and leaning in to give him a kiss.

It was open-mouthed and passionate, and Shiro melted into it with a moan. His fingers curled into the sheets underneath him, brows furrowing with each wave of arousal. He hadn’t felt this horny since his heat, surprisingly enough.

And then it hit him all at once, breath hitching as he felt Keith moving inside him. He completely enveloped him, clenching around the tip of his cock. His body was on fire and his heart was racing, and he’d _never_ felt this way before.

“Take care of me,” he breathed, lip quivering as he felt more kisses down his neck. “Please.”

“Patience…” he crooned, and his fingers were running over the joins in their flesh. Keith’s voice wavered from pleasure while he spoke.

Shiro whined as he could feel his dick moving inside him further, inch by inch. His mouth hung wide open, and he hurried to cling tightly to the bedpost in front of him as he moaned. He felt this spark, going straight from his mind to the swelling of his scent glands. Even with the scar from his past mating mark, he wanted Keith’s mark right away. He couldn’t see himself with anyone else but him.

“K-Keith…” He gasped with a loud moan following as Keith suddenly gave a rapid, deep pace. “Ohh, _yes!”_

“Fuck…” Keith groaned, hands on his hips as he guided the Omega to go down harder on his cock in this position.

Shiro could feel the baby kicking and shifting from within, but that didn’t hinder the pleasure. He felt no apprehension. Even his doctor had assured him that sex while pregnant was okay. He went to reach back and hold Keith’s hair, but he was already losing balance. His back arched with a loud cry.

“Yes, yes!” He whined, doing his best to ride back. “M-mar—Keith, ma—” He couldn’t give any official consent for Keith to mark him, too electrified to get the words out. As much as he’d wanted it, he wasn’t going to force Keith to do it. Even if it was so frustrating trying to get the words out. Heat was coiling fast. It was the quickest that any Alpha was ever able to get him off. “F-fuck, fuck, I’m gonna cum! Keith!”

He squirmed and whined loudly as he suddenly came, the orgasm so powerful that he felt his whole world stop. He heard his own sudden screams of pleasure, but at the same time they sounded so distant to him. And as he jolted with each hard thrust Keith was still giving to him, he could feel himself being stretched wider as the Alpha’s knot started to expand. He whimpered and hurried to clamp down, wanting it _bad._

“Y-yes, please,” he purred while his hips rocked, shaking with the exertion. “Knot me. Give it to me, Keith.”

“Fuck!” Shiro could tell from the way he tensed up from behind—he’d never actually knotted anyone before.

When they finally locked together, Shiro felt every nerve in his body sing, quickly being filled with his seed. The overstimulation had him squirming, a long whine escaping his lips. Keith’s body enveloped him, and his desperate, satisfied moans were music to his ears. Shiro collapsed on to the bed in his most comfortable posture, doing his best to comfort Keith by idly kissing one of his arms when offered to him.

“Holy shit,” Keith gasped with a grin on his face, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“You were amazing,” he encouraged, his voice slurred as the waves of arousal subsided.

Their words were in hushed tones as they shared careful kisses, waiting for the knot to go down. When it did, they still kept close while now facing each other, wanting their hands to touch every inch of their bodies until they felt more familiar.

Relaxing in the afterglow, Keith stayed right beside him to hold his belly. Shiro had a smile plastered on his face while he watched him. He watched Keith starting to kiss down his body until he was directly interacting with the baby.

“Akira…”

He heard him crooning. Shiro’s eyes started to water, and he ran his fingers through his hair while hoping Keith wouldn’t look up.

“Hi, Akira,” he hummed again, his hand rubbing his belly. “You’ll be hearing my voice a lot more now, okay? I’ll be spending a lot of time with you. Y-you can even say I’ll be like your…” He trailed off.

Shiro looked down and wiped his eyes, noticing that Keith was starting to cry. He watched him fondly while stroking his hair.

“I-I never thought I’d be a parent,” he continued. “But I won’t hesitate to be like one for you. And I love your dad, too.”

He gently pulled Keith closer as the baby started to kick. He held him close and gave him a slow, loving kiss, rubbing his back. “Keith, you don’t have to be ‘like’ a parent,” he hummed. “As far as I’m concerned, and if you’d want that, you _are_ his dad. You know that, don’t you?”

He sniffled and rested his head on his shoulder. “I do now,” he hummed. “So, I can be? H-his dad, I mean…”

“Of course.” He kissed his hair. “For as long as you want to be.”

Keith smiled and gave him another kiss, pulling the covers higher up over them. “I’m hoping that will be forever.”


	8. Keith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack! ;)

_Keith’s life had changed for the_ better. Now that he was with Shiro, they decided that they were going to be moving in together by the time Akira would be born. He was in the process of packing now, in between his work shifts. They were both very fortunate that Shiro was allowed to have dogs in his apartment. Keith was glad that his hours were more constant while Shiro’s were more chaotic. With the time that they had apart because of their jobs, he was still slowly processing the fact that he was going to be a father.

Being friends and providing for him was one thing. Being his boyfriend made that same task more like a full-time job. He was absolutely for putting that kind of time into it, don’t get him wrong. He completely accepted this full and well. He knew that being with Shiro would make him a father, but it was still a huge transition. He loved the idea of being a dad. Telling people at work was difficult, though. Ulaz and Thace were hesitant, and his friends Antok and Regris were still trying to process this. He was worried about the stigma for Shiro’s sake, not so much his own. He saw how Shiro was treated when trying to date again. He didn’t want him to face any more insults or harassment because of his new relationship.

Speaking of, Shiro was currently blowing up his phone. Now that he had someone to help curb his strange cravings, he was definitely exploiting that. Not that Keith minded, anyways.

> **Shiro: Keeeiith!**
> 
> **Shiro: Keef.**
> 
> **Shiro: There’s no baloney in the apartment and I really need it D:**
> 
> **Keith: ??? You hate bologna.**
> 
> **Shiro: Can you pick it up pleeease?**

Keith blushed and looked at the time. Work was almost over, and he had to plan out his route home a little better.

> **Keith: I’m still at work babe. I can’t get it right now.**
> 
> **Shiro: >:( Keith…**
> 
> **Keith: OK ok I’ll get it before I come home <3**
> 
> **Shiro: Thank you <3 I love you I love you!!**
> 
> **Shiro: Don’t get the cheap shit tho!**
> 
> **Keith: I’m not an animal babe lol**

Keith laughed to himself as he was finishing up at his desk. They were preparing different accounts as they were getting ready for the impending doom known as the holiday season.

“Kogane, Earth to Kogane.”

He was startled and looked over. His boss, Kolivan, was trying to get his attention.

“Sorry, Kolivan,” he sighed. “What’s up?”

“I just got your memo,” he frowned. “You’re mates with a pregnant Omega that patched you up at the hospital? That’s not exactly what I consider a viable catch.”

He couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that came out. “I mean, we’re not officially a mated pair yet. He’s my boyfriend. We’re well aware that our relationship isn’t conventional, and I know that his baby is not technically mine, but they’re my family now.”

“Interesting… so, you’re asking for leave?”

Keith nodded. “He’s due in a couple months, and I need to be there for him to help him with the baby. If I have to, it can only be for the birth and the first couple weeks after.”

Kolivan pursed his lips. “I agree that it’s not conventional, but I’ll allow it. Just give me some time to process your leave of absence, and we’ll go from there.”

He smiled, feeling relieved. “Thank you so much.”

At the end of his shift, he stopped at the deli before heading home. It was hard to find Shiro’s favorite, but he managed it and got back within a decent amount of time. He had some boxes from his apartment in his car that he was also transferring inside. He managed to get settled with his cargo and Shiro’s cravings in less than twenty minutes.

Shiro was happily eating his well-earned bologna sandwich, humming in delight with the TV playing as background noise. Keith took care of his unpacking and didn’t even think of disturbing Shiro when he was at his most tranquil.

It was the most peaceful and content that he’d ever seen him. His belly was nice and round, and now that Shiro was spending less time at work, he looked so much more relaxed. The one thing that made this even more picture perfect was Kosmo on the couch with him, his head resting next to Shiro’s hand on his belly. Kosmo _loved_ Shiro, and he was very protective of him and the baby. Oftentimes, he would warningly growl at Keith whenever they tried to kiss, but it never escalated to anything more than that.

“Hey Shiro…” He broke down one of his boxes after he’d finished taking everything out. “I want you to meet my mom.”

His whole face lit up. “Of course! I’d love to meet her. When we can visit?”

“How about I invite her over? My stuff is almost all out of that apartment, so we can celebrate now that I’d been all unpacked.”

“That’s a great idea,” he hummed, hoisting himself up. His sandwich was forgotten in favor of giving Keith happy kisses. “I can’t wait.” He took his hands and started to lead him into the bedroom. “But for now…”

“Again?” Keith teased playfully and eagerly followed behind him. “I’ll give you whatever you need, my love.”

\--

 _Shiro was dressed far too nicely._ Wearing comfortable trousers, a button-down, and a thick sweater, he was sure to make an excellent first impression. Keith felt so out of place compared to him. “So Shiro, don’t feel too concerned about my mom being an Alpha. She really is a softy at heart.”

He nodded happily. “Okay. I’m just nervous. I really want her to like me.”

“She will,” he crooned, giving him a gentle kiss. “She already loves you.”

“Does she?” He had a small smile on his face. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Y’know, since the baby’s not technically yours.”

Keith knew it pained him to say that, and it left him feeling uncomfortable, too. He sighed gently and had a hand on his belly. “He is mine, okay? He’s my son, just as much as he’s yours and Adam’s. Nothing changes that. I promise.”

His smile grew, making him yearn kissing him again. “That’s why I love you,” his boyfriend assured gently. When they heard a knock on the door, Shiro’s face lit up. “She’s here!”

They went up to the door together, with Keith answering. Krolia was dressed casually, which made Shiro look even more dressed up. Keith held his boyfriend’s hand happily. “Hey, Mom.”

Shiro was so excited, eagerly shaking hands with her. “Hello, Ms. Kogane. I’m Shiro, and it’s so nice to meet you.”

Shiro smiled and nodded. “Hello, Shiro. It’s nice to meet you, too. Keith’s told me so much about you.”

He smiled and brought her inside. “Please, please come in. Welcome.”

She settled in, and Keith got her coat. “How far along are you, Shiro?”

He looked over while gathering up their lunch. “I’m seven and a half months. Everything’s in order, and the baby’s perfectly healthy.”

“Excellent news,” she smiled. They all sat together. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if my son was ready to handle the responsibility of having you as his mate. But I’m glad he chose you. You’re very well put-together, and you’ve been so gentle in helping him adjust that I’m in awe. All he ever talks about when we see each other is the baby. You’re both going to be great parents.”

Touched by her words, Shiro happily nodded, eyes shining. “Thank you so much. And your son has really helped a lot. I don’t know what I’d do without him. I’ve never felt alone or afraid when he was there for me.”

“It’s great to know that my mate raised him well,” she admitted sweetly. “You remind me so much of him, Shiro.”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “It’s a good thing that you’re here, so now I can invite you in person. Closer to the predicted due date, I’m having a baby shower. All my friends from work will be there, and Keith’s coworkers and friends were invited. I would love it if you’d come.”

“Of course, I will,” she insisted. She looked over at Keith. “He’s very sweet. I see why you like him so much.”

Shiro blushed darkly, hiding his face behind one of his hands. “Keith…”

“It’s the truth,” he defended for his mother. “You absolutely are the sweetest.”

“Oh, Keith,” he chuckled. “Thank you. Now. Krolia, would you like a tour of the apartment? We’re not quite finished with the nursery yet, but all the furniture is in order.”

“I’d love to see.” She was led down the hall, taken into the first room on the left. The nursery looked much more homey now, but they were still missing some decorations to give it a full, interstellar theme. “I love these stars and galaxies. What was your inspiration for the theme?”

He didn’t look as distant as when he first told Keith the idea for the theme, but there was still a bittersweet expression on his face. “The baby’s father always wanted to be an astronomer. I just wanted him to have a piece of him, even if it’s just his past interests.”

“That’s very touching,” she agreed. “Now, what’s my new grandson’s name going to be?”

Shiro smiled brightly, and at the same time Keith was pleased that Krolia more than willing to be seen as their son’s grandmother. “His name will be Akira.”

“Great choice,” she assured him. “Now, I saw that you prepared a very nice lunch out in the dining room, and I would love to have some.”

“Right!” he beamed and started to head for the door. “Right this way, Krolia.”

Krolia stayed back with Keith and walked slowly with him. “He’s a good man, Keith. I better not find out that you broke his heart.”

“T-that’d never happen,” he sputtered.

“Good.” She kept this warm smile for Shiro. “It seems like you’ve been keeping a lot of excitement to yourself. Do you have family to share this time with?”

That was when Shiro faltered. Keith had never really asked him about his family… only Adam. All he knew was that most of his relatives were much older than him. “My grandfather unfortunately is no longer with us… And my parents took issue with the fact that I presented as an Omega. I presented late, and I was a good athlete and was ready to enlist in the Army at the time. But then I had my first heat. My father wouldn’t look at me, and my mother was too shocked to process everything. They were so sure that I was going to be an Alpha. They bred all Alphas before me and after. I guess you can say that I was the ugly duckling of the family.”

“You are far from that,” Keith interjected almost immediately. “If they don’t want to appreciate you for your Dynamic and your own family, then you will have me and my family. We’ll be your support while they choose not to be.”

“I know,” he said fondly. “I love you…”

“And I love you.” Keith kept lose and gave the Omega a kiss, not minding that his mother was watching their display.

“I agree with Keith,” said Krolia. “It was the same way with my mate. His parents were shocked when he wanted to be with me, thinking that because it was not the traditional type of bond that it wouldn’t go well. But I think we did well with Keith. At least, he surely did.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Mom.” Keith reached to hold her hand. “Don’t worry about it. You’re with us now, and that definitely makes up for any lost time that you want to make up for, no matter what the reason.”

“Right,” she smiled. “Now Shiro, you can come to me if you need anything at all. From parent to parent. As well as from widow to widow. I can help you.”

“That’d be very helpful… My therapist told me that it would help me recover better if I talked with people that knew exactly what I’d gone through,” Shiro sighed. “It had… something to do with Dynamics coaching each other.”

“Exactly,” she smiled.

They had such a great time together that Keith barely noticed when it was time for her to leave. The sun was well passed down, and they’d gone through two meals. Keith was so glad that Shiro and Krolia got along so well, and he knew they would. Shiro was just so happy to be a part of Keith’s family that any nerves he had before her visit were long forgotten.

He was seeing her out, a big smile on his face as they stood in the middle of the threshold. “It was nice to meet you, Krolia. I hope you come over again soon.”

“I will,” she insisted. “And you have a lovely home.”

He was modest as he went to shake hands with her. “Have a good night.”

She shook her head and held her arms out. “We’re family now, Shiro. You deserve to have a hug from me.”

His face lit up, and he quickly hugged her. Keith watched them, his smile softening further.

When she left, Shiro moved closer to Keith and gave him a happy kiss. “That went so much better than I thought it would.”

“See? I told you,” he hummed against his lips, giving him another reassuring kiss. He felt Kosmo nudge his leg in between their kisses, and he blushed while they both started to laugh. Despite the light mood, Keith had something he really wanted to talk to Shiro about. “Now… you never told me that about your family.”

He noticeably faltered, stepping back. “I don’t like to talk about them. After I was deployed, we lost touch. Well, for the most part. My parents were at my wedding, but they didn’t stay for the reception. Hell, I don’t even think any of them knows I’m pregnant.”

“Really?” His eyes widened as he frowned.

He shrugged, his shoulders slumping. “I don’t think so. It’s fine, though. They probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me or the baby.”

“Don’t say that,” he sighed. “I know I said that you have me and my mom, but you should have your family with you, too. Give them one last chance to be in your life, if you want to look at this in any way.”

“I guess so,” he said. “I’ll try and contact them.” He then perked up. “In fact, I haven’t updated my Facebook in over a year.”

“That explains so much,” he teased. “Go ahead and do it. What’s the worst that can happen?”

 _“Anything,”_ Shiro exhaled, laughing while walking into the bedroom. “I’ll update everything now.”

Keith looked over Shiro’s shoulder drowsily once they were ready for bed, and Shiro was on his laptop. Keith watched him make several updates to his social media, which showed up as several different life events on his feed. Keith read his updated posts, as well, touched as he looked them over once they were all finished.

 

The first large post had images of the ultrasound pictures and an image of Shiro wearing his work uniform in a way that showed off his baby belly.

_“I don’t use this account very often, but a lot has changed within the past year that no one knew anything about. I’m sorry for not keeping everyone updated, but I wanted to hold off before making this all public. You all know about the tragic death of my mate, Adam, and it is with a heavy heart that I am grieving over my husband. But he will be survived by one little miracle. I hope that our baby will have all of his likenesses and his positive outlooks on life. The baby will be born around the end of the year._

_I’m having a baby boy. It’s been such a difficult and nerve-wracking journey, but I don’t regret a single moment of it. I can’t wait to introduce our son, Akira Wallace-Shirogane.”_

 

His second post had one photo, which was of him and Keith snuggled together in bed with Kosmo nuzzling into Shiro’s shoulder. He remembered this picture and how Shiro couldn’t stop laughing because the baby kept nudging him while he tried holding a smile.

_“He helped put the pieces of my broken heart back together. He doesn’t replace the empty space that my husband’s passing left in there, but he’s healed me in ways that I will always be thankful for. Keith Kogane has been supporting me even before our relationship started. He’s stepped up in ways that Alphas I’ve met before never could. He loves my son so much, like he is his own. I’m so happy to introduce him as my partner, my best friend, and my family.”_

_\--_

_“Now, clear your mind. Relax, and take deep breaths in and out. Time your breathing.”_

_Keith watched in bewilderment as Shiro_ exhaled deeply, eyes closed as he was deep in concentration. With the help of Dr. Ryner and Dr. Balmera, Shiro was enrolled in Lamaze and parenting classes. This was part of their weekly routine every Thursday. Keith sat behind Shiro, who was leaning heavily against his frame with his legs parted.

“Now, Alphas, this is the most difficult part of the birth,” the instructor explained in a calming voice to not distract any of them. “Hold your Omega’s hand. Be there for them. And give them all the encouragement they’ll need. Your _child_ is being born. Keep their morale high.”

As Keith listened to Shiro’s breathing, he leaned down and kissed his shoulder. “You’ve got this, baby.”

“I’m really scared,” Shiro confessed, keeping his voice at a whisper.

“Why?” he murmured and held his hands.

“Now, Omegas, your baby is starting to crown. Gather up all of your energy. This is _it._ You’ve been building up to this moment for _hours,_ and all of your efforts are about to pay off.”

“You’re really asking me that right now?” Shiro hissed as they were moving on to the next phase of their exercise. “This is just practice. What if I choke during the real thing?”

“Baby, you’re not gonna choke—”

“Mr. Shirogane, please hold your comments until after this session is over.”

The two of them both turned a deep breath as they stopped talking. They took deep breaths, forcing themselves to go back into focus. With Shiro visibly relaxing, Keith kissed his cheek. “Like I said. You’ve got this, Shiro.”

After their session was over, Shiro kept close to Keith while they were gathering their things. He was a little more comforted, holding his hand as they made their next few stops.

“Did your friends and coworkers respond to the invitations?” Shiro asked curiously. “Everyone I invited from work will be there.”

“I don’t think Antok’s coming. He doesn’t seem too fond of domestic life.” Keith shrugged. “But who knows. He might come in to surprise us.”

“Okay,” he said happily. “I need to clean the apartment. The party is in a week.”

“I know,” he chuckled. “No more stress, okay?”

Shiro sighed. “I am the king of handling stress. Nothing can bring me down.”

Keith rolled his eyes playfully. “Sure, Shiro. But I’m being serious. You know you have to be more careful, right? Especially now…”

“Yes, yes, I know.” He started to sound a little bit irritable. “It’s nearly time for my leave. I wanted to hold it back for a little longer, so that I have more time to finish my studies.”

“Akira’s health is more important than your studies, Shiro…”

He ignored Keith as they both heard notifications pop up on Shiro’s phone. One, after the other, after the other… Confused, Shiro picked it up and looked at it. Keith watched all the color drain from his face.

“…Shiro?”

“My family found my post,” he said breathlessly. “I don’t think they took it well…”

“What do you mean?” he muttered. “You’re having a baby, they should be excited.”

“I kinda saw this coming, but it’s too much. I have a bunch of messages all at once, and in all of them they’re all mad or upset about the whole thing.” His breath faltered while he panicked. His phone started to ring, and he reluctantly answered it. “Hello? …Dad, what did you expect? I didn’t have to tell you or Mom anything. I don’t owe you anything. You were the ones who gave up on me!” He paused as he looked like he was about to cry. “It doesn’t matter who I’m with! I don’t need this right now.”

“Shiro, hang up,” Keith warned as he moved closer. “You don’t need this stress. Shiro?”

As Shiro hung up, he shuddered while his lip quivered. “They were just screaming at me…” He tried taking deep breaths. “We need to go home. I have to lay down.”

“Let’s go…” He helped Shiro back to the car, but before he could get in himself, he started to stumble. “Shiro?!”

“I-I’m fine,” he whimpered. “Just the tension… I need to relax.”

“Baby, you’re not fine!” He helped him inside. “Let’s go. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Keith, you don’t have to…” As he trailed off, he gave up on trying to protest. Keith knew well enough that if anything, Shiro just needed to be checked on and monitored. He’d been going through so much stress too late into his pregnancy to manage, and knowing that Shiro’s family had such a negative impact on that and aggravated his situation made his blood boil.


	9. Shiro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP, I figured since the previous chapter and this one were so short, I'd post them both tonight! I hope you've all been doing well!

_Shiro felt like sitting here was_ a waste of time, but deep down his mind was racing. He couldn’t stop thinking about how his family started suddenly responding to his posts. Most of them were asking why he never told them, and others were almost shaming him for being so secretive and for finding another partner so soon after Adam died. Those comments were mostly from his older relatives.

He knew this would happen. His family was so put off with him being an Omega that he should’ve guess that being pregnant would’ve made relations with them even worse. And with Keith being added into the equation as well, it was even harder. He couldn’t even begin to explain without freezing up. What was he supposed to say or do? The damage had already been done.

Not even his friends knew much about his family. It was a sore spot that he never even bothered to patch up.

“Shiro?”

He perked up when he heard Keith knock and step inside quietly. He felt relieved to see him, sitting up in the hospital bed. He saw that his lover brought him flowers and stuffed bear from the gift shop downstairs.

“Hey,” he smiled and walked up to the bedside. ‘You’re awake.”

He nodded. He turned his head to the side when he felt his eyes water.

“Shiro…” Keith sat down after setting the flowers to the side. “I know your family confronting you really sucked. But I don’t want it to bother you, okay? Don’t think about it.”

“That’s easier said than done,” he said. “Pregnant Omegas usually have such a supportive family. And what do I have? I-I know I should’ve told them, but I was afraid.”

“You shouldn’t have to be. You had your right to keep this to yourself. And even then, we can’t change the past. If they want to make things right with you, then they have to come to you themselves and talk to you. That’s what you really need right now.”

“I’m not sure if it’ll go well.” He sighed, feeling Keith’s fingers soothing over his hand. “I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

“No, everything’s fine…” He sat down after setting the flowers to the side. “You’re okay. The baby’s okay. They’d just finished running tests. All you needed was rest.” He leaned down and kissed his forehead. “And Dr. Holt talked to me. He’s forcing you to go on leave now.”

Shiro pouted, crossing his arms. “I wasn’t ready yet.”

“Your body is telling you otherwise,” he teased. “It’s time, babe. You need your rest.”

He settled back down, groaning as his head hit the pillow. “You’re right. I need to look out for Akira.”

“Yes,” he smiled, and Shiro closed his eyes as they kissed each other. “Besides, soon we’ll be able to meet him. That’s all we should focus on now.”

“Mhm,” he smiled dazedly. “Yes.”

Keith shifted so that he could lay beside him, arm draped over his round belly. There was just barely enough room for the two of them, and Keith gave him the most space. Shiro was already drifting off once more, and it reminded him of how much rest he truly needed.

When he regained consciousness again, he heard a knock on the door. The nurse stepped in.

“Dr. Shirogane?” She had a polite smile. “There are people outside that want to see you. Your parents…”

He could feel the blood drain from his face. He hurried to hold Keith hand and briefly looked at him. He was scared that they’d yell if they were brought in, and that was something he really didn’t need right now. But they were his parents, and he’d kept them from all this long enough. This was a conversation that they all needed and should’ve had a long time ago. “Send them in.”

“Are you sure?” Keith asked after the nurse left.

Shiro nodded his head, seeing his mother and father come inside. He self-consciously pulled the blanket up over his belly, as if he was still trying to hide it. Even Keith had his guard up, sitting up and looking at them with a hardened glare.

“Hi, Mom… Dad,” he mumbled.

“Takashi.” His mom turned to her mate and nudged him hard. “I told you that you shouldn’t have been so hard on him! He’s in the hospital.”

“He didn’t even bother to tell us that he’s pregnant, let alone he has another mate!”

“Excuse me.” Keith started to stand up. “He’s in here because of stress, and the last thing he needs is more stress!”

“You’re the last person that should be talking about this right now,” Mr. Shirogane muttered. “You’re just here to keep his bed warm.”

“Enough!” Shiro cried, just as Keith bared his teeth. “You two stopped caring about my well-being when I first presented! You can’t act surprised that I wouldn’t tell you about the baby if you wouldn’t even look at me at my own wedding! What part of any of the ways you didn’t support me was supposed to ensure me that you’d want anything to do with this?”

His mother looked the most affected by what he said. “Takashi, I know this all looks bad. But I want you to know that we do love you. It took us too long to get used to the fact that you’re an Omega. We shouldn’t have used your Dynamic as a punishment. And we weren’t with you when you needed us the most, when you lost your mate…” She was starting to cry. “And your stubborn father wouldn’t just come talk to you!”

“Mey,” his dad muttered. “…She’s right. And I shouldn’t have yelled at you. So much was being shown to me at once, and I didn’t know how to react. Especially with your… your new mate.”

Shiro wiped his eyes and kept his head down. “We’re not officially a mated pair yet. We’re waiting until after the baby’s born to do our bond marks, so for now we’re partners.”

“Right.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I owe you an apology. I was so sure you were going to be an Alpha that when it turned out you weren’t, I panicked. I never wanted to hurt you or punish you, but that’s exactly what I did. And now, here you are having our first grandchild and you rightfully didn’t want us to be a part of it. And we’re sorry.”

“Yes, Kashi, we’re sorry,” she frowned.

“I forgive you… I do. A-and it’s not that I didn’t want you to be a part of it…” Shiro sniffled. “All I’ve ever wanted was your support.”

His father nodded eagerly. “And we’re here for you now, if you’ll have us.”

Shiro didn’t hesitate. He reached his arms out. “Please.”

His parents both went up to him. He relaxed while hugging them tightly, still crying but managing a small smile. His father kept a tight hold on him while his mother wept, insisting how much she loved him and missed him. Shiro did his best to calm down, but it didn’t help that his hormones were even more out of whack. He lowered the blanket, now showing his belly.

“Oh, Takashi…” His mom moved back to get a good look at him. “You look terrific!”

His smile grew wider. “He’s growing every day.”

She started feeling his middle affectionately and kissed his forehead. “I can’t wait to meet my grandson.”

 _“Our_ grandson.” His dad was more stoic, but Shiro knew that he did care. Or, he at least was starting to. That didn’t matter to Shiro. Just knowing that both of his parents were here for him now, supporting him and getting used to all this, made him feel at peace. His dad then turned his head to his partner. “So. You’re Keith…”

“Yes, Sir.” Keith shook hands with both Shiro’s parents. “I love your son very much.”

His mom smiled. “Thank you for being there for him. You seem like a sweet young man.”

Shiro smiled and felt a hard nudge inside him. “Akira’s kicking again.”

She gasped and placed both hands on his belly now to feel. “That’s such a nice name, Shiro. How much longer until he’s born?”

“Just another month.” He took a deep breath, despite feeling extremely nervous now that he was even closer to the due date. “Keith and I have been taking classes, and all of my appointments showed that everything’s fine and on schedule. But still… It’s a lot of pressure.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Kashi. You’re doing everything right. This is the time you should be excited! Your baby will be here in a month!”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I’m just really worried about giving birth.”

“That’s perfectly normal,” she said. “You just need to remember that Keith and your doctor are here for you. And you have all the strength and instinct you’ll need to get through it.”

He nodded and felt Keith kiss his cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course, Keith,” she smiled. “So… did you have your baby shower yet?”

“I didn’t,” he answered. “But it would mean so much to me if you’d be there. It’s next Saturday.”

“Of course, I’ll come.” She held him and looked at her husband. “We need to get some things for the baby. He’ll need diapers and bottles, and we should get some burping cloths. Those are essential.”

“I didn’t even write any of those down on my list.” Shiro blushed. “I’ve been so unorganized this entire pregnancy.”

“Don’t worry about that,” his father insisted. “We’ll help make sure that everything is under control. And now the whole family will be there for him once he’s born.”

“The whole family?” He quirked a brow.

There was a knock at the door again. When he told them to come in, he saw two faces that he didn’t think he’d ever see again. Adam’s parents. The last time he saw them was at the funeral, and he was worried that they didn’t want anything to do with him or the baby anymore.

His parents probably put his in-laws up to speed that Shiro had a new lover, but that didn’t change the fact that this was their grandson, too. He’d also sent them messages telling them about the progress every once in a while, but they never responded, which made him assume the worse.

“Hi, come here,” Shiro grinned as his in-laws moved closer. “I’ve missed you.”

“Shiro, look at you.” His mother-in-law looked so excited. “We’d been waiting to see you.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“Well, you have a new partner now. We would’ve understood if you’d rather not have any reminders of Adam.”

“Oh, that’s not true. You’re always welcome,” he assured. “Akira’s your grandson, too. I want him to still have his father’s family and know all about him.”

Adam’s dad looked so pleased, rubbing his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Yes, of course.” He smiled, giving his family hugs. They were so excited, and Shiro had always hoped things would go well with all of them. He only wished that didn’t take as long as it did. But that was okay. His family was all together now.

They even met and got to know Keith. All of them embracing the newest addition to his family also greatly pleased him. His baby had gone from just having his dad to having three sets of grandparents, a loving father, and a supportive family that all cared for him.

\--

 _Shiro never thought that the baby_ shower would have such a huge turnout. His good friends and coworkers were all there, as well as his parents, Adam’s parents, and Krolia. Keith’s coworkers were all here, and so was Regris and even Antok. The whole apartment was buzzing full of life, and every room had people still happily conversing. Dr. Balmera was with Hunk, and even she noticed how excited he was compared to the beginning of his pregnancy.

“Shiro, you look so much better.” Dr. Balmera grinned once she had a moment to talk to him. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “And now Akira has such a big family. Adam’s parents got back in touch with me.”

“That’s so great!” She gave him a big hug. “Just three more weeks until the big day! And everyone here is so excited to meet him.”

“Probably not more excited than I am,” he teased. “I’m doing well in my classes. Lamaze was really good for me.”

“I told you,” she rubbed his arm. “Now, let’s open some presents!”

Shiro was so happy, and Kosmo stayed right beside him when he sat down on the couch. Every single present was special. He got more clothes for Akira, toys, and all the essentials. Most of those were from his parents. Everyone in the room got the baby gifts. His favorite one, however, was the adorable blanket that Adam’s mother made herself. The second best had to be Pidge’s present, which was a baby monitor that allowed him to not only hear but see Akira when he was in his crib.

This was such a perfect day. And in three weeks, it was going to be even more perfect. All he wanted now was to hold his baby in his arms.


	10. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They weren't sure what was going on. The doctor said that Shiro would be having the baby in three weeks.
> 
> ...Four weeks ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S ALMOST BABY TIME!! I'm so excited.  
> Also, in this chapter, I try my best to clear up questions that I got from a comment that had very valid criticism that I'm still beating myself up over the head for.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!

**_Four weeks later…_ **

_Keith rushed Shiro through the hospital_ in a wheelchair. He kept looking down when hearing his partner groan and whine in pain, hands pressed against his belly. His family was going to be here soon. “It’s okay, baby. Very soon, we’ll get to hold our little boy, okay?”

“Uh-huh,” he panted as they finally made it to the delivery ward. Nurses were ready with the room prepared for them.

“This your mate?” one of them asked Shiro when they looked up at me.

Shiro looked up nervously. Should they be honest? “Uh no, he’s my partner. But we’re practically mated—”

“Whoa, whoa.” She pressed hard on Keith’s chest when he was just about to enter the room with Shiro. “If you’re not his mate, you can’t be here.”

“What?” Shiro started to panic as he glanced over his shoulder. “No, no! Keith?”

“Babe, it’s okay.” He gave him a soothing kiss. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“But you should be here!”

Before Keith could say anything more to comfort him, the nurses rush him into the room and quickly shut the door for privacy. He’d never heard of such a thing in modern day, where an omega’s partner wasn’t aloud to enter the room with them. This was so archaic!

Shiro’s parents soon arrived, and they all sat around in the waiting room together. Keith was just so anxious the whole time, just wanting to be with Shiro.

“It’s alright,” Shiro’s mother tried to assure him. “They gave his father such a hard time when his eldest brother was born.”

“The nurse just didn’t want to deal with an Alpha,” he muttered. “Sometimes you’ll get that, though.”

Keith sighed, leaning back against the wall. He wanted to try and keep his mind off of Shiro, who was probably suffering alone during his labor. “Let me ask you something. You had Shiro’s whole life to prepare for him to be an Omega. What made you so nervous when he had his first heat?”

His father rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… You can think of us as behaving stupidly. But we were hoping that since his brothers were all Alphas, his body would be conditioned to have more Alpha tendencies as he got older. He was incredibly athletic his whole life, so we thought that it worked. We were intimidated by the idea of having an Omega in the house, especially with all his brothers. We’ve tried to do some research a little bit, but we were in denial.”

“We feel terrible about it,” his mother sighed sadly. “But now we’re just so happy that we can be with him now.”

Keith nodded and looked over at the room Shiro was in. “I just want to be in there with him. I hope he’s okay.”

After another half hour, he heard the door quickly fling open, which startled the three of them. Shiro was there, clothes and hair disheveled like he’d gotten dressed in a hurry. He looked deeply annoyed, waddling out with the cumbersome load in his belly.

“Another false alarm,” he muttered.

_\--_

_Keith heard Shiro step out of_ bathroom as he was going through paperwork. He was waddling back into the living room, a little agitated since this was the fourth time he had to get up in the past hour.

“I was hoping that my water would break while I was pissing,” he muttered as he shifted back onto the couch.

Keith didn’t blame him for being upset. Dr. Ryner said that he was due any day now. Ten days ago.

“Why doesn’t he want to come out?” he whined and slumped back, staring down at his huge belly. “Don’t you want to see the world, baby boy? Come on…”

He took a deep breath and stayed silent, so Keith was a little confused. “…You okay?”

“Dammit, he _still_ isn’t coming out!” Shiro sobbed and smacked his hand against the arm of the couch. “This isn’t fair! After everything I’d done for you!”

“Shiro,” he chuckled. “That’s not how it works.”

“Then _you_ think of something!” he snapped. “Get him out of me!”

He sighed and moved closer tentatively. Shiro had been even more on edge than normal since his due date came and went with still no baby in sight. He was worried that his poor lover was going to have a meltdown, and he wouldn’t blame him if he did. They didn’t understand why he still wasn’t born yet, and Dr. Ryner had said that his body would know when it was time. But why was it so difficult?

“Should we go see Dr. Ryner again?” Keith then asked. “Maybe she can give us tips on how to induce the labor.”

“No, I already saw her a couple days ago,” he mumbled. “I’ll just do some research.”

He groaned. “Takashi, you’re not going on that web forum again, are you?”

“I don’t know what else to do!” He pulled up a website on his computer.

This web forum was full of Omegas using “natural” methods to take care of their young. Some of them could be helpful, while others were rather appalling and completely went against everything Shiro medically believed in. But lately, he’d been venturing on there as a last resort to see if these parents knew what they were talking about when it came to giving birth.

Some didn’t. Keith remembered one discussion where an Omega, who didn’t even have children of their own, suggested that they should give birth to their children in the most natural, primal way, to ensure that their offspring had long and happy lives. And what did a completely natural, primal birth involve? Being curled up, bare naked, and writhing in the deepest part of a forest or secluded cave or some shit with nothing but the elements to guide them.

There was a reason why modern medicine existed.

“Aha!” Shiro grinned after he did some digging. “There we go. ‘How Do I Induce My Labor?’ I’m sure I’ll find something on here.”

“As long as it’s humane and completely safe?” Keith offered gingerly.

He quickly shot him a look. “I’ve been carrying a baby for over forty-one weeks. I’m past ‘humane’ and ‘safe.’ I don’t want to hear _anything_ about being ‘humane’ and ‘safe.’ Got it?” He didn’t wait for a response, scrolling through the list. “spicy foods… incense… sand grains from a cove? What? …Where the hell do you even find that in a city?”

Taking that as a safe sign to back off, Keith went in the kitchen to take care of the dishes. Kosmo stopped eating so he could turn his attention to the poor Omega. He was suffering in a way that neither of them knew the sheer magnitude of.

“Keith! I found one!”

“Huh?”

Shiro grinned, eyes bright as he hobbled over to him. “The bond mark! If you soothe the bond mark or bite down on it, it can trigger a hormonal response that allows me to go into labor!”

He gawked at him. “Shiro, we’re not officially a mated pair, remember? We were going to wait until after Akira was born.”

“I can’t wait that long!” he gasped. “And besides, remember the last time we were at the hospital? They wouldn’t let you in.”

That was something Keith didn’t want to be reminded of. Bringing that up was still a raw topic for him. “Well, that’s none of their business, anyways. I feel like it’s too late in your pregnancy to try that. What if we hurt Akira?”

“He’ll be fine,” he assured quickly. “C’mon, c’mon! Besides, I’ve had this boner for a solid forty minutes, and I want you to take care of it!”

“You wha—” He cleared his throat, his face a bright red. “Shiro, this isn’t a good idea.”

“Please?” He held onto him tightly. “Don’t you love me?”

“Of course, I do,” he sighed fondly. “You know I love you.”

“Great! Then you’d do this for me.”

“Shiro…”

Shiro didn’t say a word after that. He just gave him… that _look._ The one that Keith just couldn’t refuse. His eyes were soft, and his lip was pulled into a pout. He looked so inviting, and he was definitely a man on a mission. Keith couldn’t help himself, despite all the red flags.

He sighed heavily, taking him into his arms. “Baby, I wanted to make it special…”

“But it _is_ special,” he whined. “This will help me so much. Please? Alpha…”

His heart ached. He’d wanted to take him in his arms and carry him over the threshold to their bedroom. He wanted to prove his strength to him despite their size difference, and he was going to ravish him inside and out. While mating, Keith was going to proclaim how much he loved him through his words and the way he moved his hips in the exact way Shiro liked it. And when he would dig his teeth into the sensitive flesh and claim his mark over the scars of old, it was going to be the single happiest moment of his life. He never would dream to ruin that fantasy, and despite knowing that it wouldn’t go _exactly_ according to his plan, he wanted to show Shiro how much he loved him. He wanted to do this, so badly. But the baby…

He could never say no. “Of course, I will.” As he crooned to him, he gently took his face in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss.

Shiro eagerly returned it in kind, arms looping around his neck. His large belly jutted out and rubbed against Keith’s body, but that made this all the more endearing. Although he couldn’t carry him into the bedroom like he wanted, Keith led him down the hall holding his hand. In between walking, he couldn’t keep his hands off him, kissing him and listening to Shiro purr against his lips. As soon as they reached the room, however, he used all his strength to take his mate in his arms without showing he was struggling in the slightest. He grinned and set him down on the bed.

“So strong,” he cooed gently, pulling Keith closer so he was hovering on top of him. They kissed once more, and Shiro was more than eager for things to immediately escalate. He licked the roof of his mouth, tongue darting in and their lips locking repeatedly.

They moaned together while they pulled away, hands fumbling to undress each other. Shiro didn’t hesitate to rip his clothes off, and his tender skin around his middle looked so stretched and scarred. Keith leaned down to give it kisses, feeling Akira briefly nudging hard from within.

“My belly’s hard as a rock,” he pouted. “Please, take care of it.”

Keith eagerly ran his hands over the skin, lips tenderly kissing there. His navel jutted out, and he teased it with his tongue which made Shiro jolt. His fingers were running through his hair, and he hummed happily while moving back up his body. One hand moved between Shiro’s legs, and he heard him whine while slick covered his fingertips already.

“Do my mark first,” he said. “I want to feel the soreness in my neck while I make yours.”

Shiro’s eyes lit up. “Y-yes. My Alpha…”

Keith leaned down, tilting his head to expose his neck. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the bite. This was the single most important moment of his life. His bond mark…

“Relax for me,” he crooned, kissing his neck. Keith could feel his teeth starting to graze the sensitive skin.

All he saw was white as he felt Shiro bite him.

The pain didn’t last long, and he was so pleased while feeling Shiro clean his wound. He let out a low groan, holding him tightly and absorbing the sensations. He felt so much closer to his new mate than he thought he ever could, and he sealed the introduction to their promise with a kiss.

“I’ll take care of you, my Omega,” he hummed and kissed him again. He patted his thigh. “Hands and knees.”

He gulped and nodded, slowly turning his body in a cumbersome motion. Keith helped him get in the proper position, and he continued to worship his body. His hand dipped down, and he pleasured him and prepared him with his fingers. Shiro whined and panted heavily, arms shaking while in this position. Keith comforted him with kisses along his spine, starting from his lower back and going up to his neck.

“I love you, Shiro,” he crooned and nuzzled the nape of his neck.

“I love you too.” Shiro’s voice was slurred from pleasure, voice cracking when Keith’s fingers moved in deeper.

Three of them were stretching him open, and Keith could _hear_ how wet he was. And Shiro kept trying to rock his body down, squirming his hips and writhing in his position. Keith answered that with a light pat on his ass, which made him stop while he was shaking.

“Keith, p-please,” Shiro whimpered. Keith could hear the raw emotion in his voice. “I’m ready. Please, I want more!”

“Patience…” Keith pulled his fingers out and just looked his lover over. He was perfect, and he was absolutely a sight to behold. His body was stunning, and his large frame put him at a loss for words. He could barely mount him without shifting on his tiptoes for most of the experience, and he _loved_ that. He’d never felt so much pleasure being with an Omega before Shiro.

He lined himself up and slowly pushed inside him, shuddering at how hot and wet his cunt felt. Shiro let out a relieved cry, and Keith twitched at the sound. He moved to pull out to the tip, and he grinned at the full-body reaction Shiro had when he slid right home again.

He pistoned his hips against Shiro’s, holding his shoulders and pulling his body down to meet him for harder thrusts. Shiro’s whines and cries filled the room, and he started riding back, albeit clumsily.

“Oh Shiro, you’re so perfect,” he moaned and kissed his shoulder. He managed to keep this nice pace while turning his attention to his neck. He found the sensitive skin, and he realized he had to stretch so he could reach it properly while fucking him. Fuck, this was so hot.

He felt quivering from inside Shiro’s body, and he heard the Omega cry out again, even louder than before. He suddenly got even wetter, slick coating their thighs and even the bed, He thought he just came, but his arousal was still high.

“Bite me!” Shiro gasped as he rode back, throat tightening on a sob. “Please, please I’m so close!”

“F-fuck, me too!” he gasped, starting to latch onto his skin. His teeth were digging into the skin in preparation while his knot started to expand.

“Knot me,” he whimpered, clamping down on him.

Keith was helpless. He eagerly complied and shoved his knot in fully while biting down on his neck. His thrusts were shallow as he rode his orgasm out, but Shiro’s entire body was completely affected by his. If Keith thought that the bed was wet before, it was _soaked_ now. Shiro nearly screamed while he came, body going rigid as more fluids dribbled down their thighs. But then he stayed frozen, and that was when Keith started to feel concerned.

“…Shiro?”

“Keith.” He was breathless, trying to turn his head while Keith licked his wound clean. “Keith, my water just broke.”

The grip on his shoulders tightened. “What?”

“My water broke,” he repeated with a whimper. “The baby’s coming.”

“…Right now?”

“Y-yes, right now. We have to go to the hospital!”

Keith paled. “My knot won’t go down for another fifteen minutes!”

He tensed. “Are you serious?! B-but we have to go _now,_ my contractions will start!”

“Dead serious,” he panicked and fumbled for his phone. “I’ll call an ambulance.”

“What will they do?”

“Well, they’ll take you to the hospital while I gather up the bags.”

Shiro was starting to cry, and Keith wasn’t sure if it was from pain or embarrassment. Keith finally grabbed his phone and called 911. He had no idea what to say!

When he got a hold of emergency services, he started to reluctantly explain what was going on. “My mate is in labor, and we need an ambulance right away. We’ll have difficulties getting there if we go ourselves.”

“Don’t…” Shiro growled.

“Babe, I have to explain what’s going on,” he frowned.

_“Why will that be a problem, Sir?”_

“W-well, because we’re stuck in a knot.”

“KEITH!” Shiro reached back to smack his shoulder. “You can’t just _tell_ people shit like that! Are you fucking kidding me?!”

The dispatcher snorted. _“Okay, we’ll be there soon, Mr. Kogane.”_

When he hung up, Shiro was still pissed. “Everyone at the hospital is going to know about this, Keith! I can’t believe you told them that!”

“The knot will go down by the time they get here,” he assured.

After ten minutes of being stuck together like this, they heard sirens from down the street.

“Y-you said you’d be out by now!” Shiro growled, writhing on the bed. “F-fuck…”

“Babe?” Keith cringed at a strange sensation from inside Shiro’s body. It was a rippling movement, and he could feel the tiniest inkling of stretch at the end of it. It was a contraction.

Shiro dug his hands into the sheets, and thank fuck the knot finally went down, because Keith pulled out and quickly dressed them to make them decent. There was a buzz on their door, so he hurried to let them in. He kept going in and out of the room so that he could have all the bags ready for them.

When Keith came back to check on his new mate, Shiro was curled up in the bed with Kosmo right beside him. He was trying to take deep breaths, but he was starting to cry from worry. Kosmo did his best to soothe him by licking his open hand and nuzzling his arm.

“Shiro? The paramedics are on their way up.”

Kosmo perked up and gave him a warning growl.

“I adopted you,” he gasped as he looked at his dog. “I’m hurt.”

“It’s starting to really hurt,” he whimpered.

“Don’t worry, baby,” Keith said while leaning in to kiss his forehead. “We’ll get you to the hospital, and everything will be fine.”

The paramedics helped him down the stairs, since the building had no elevator. Kosmo was trailing right behind them, whining from the back of his throat while he tried to follow them. Keith sighed and turned back around, setting down his bags.

“It’s okay, boy,” he murmured, stroking his flank. “Shiro and the baby will be fine. We’ll be back soon.”

Kosmo didn’t seem the slightest bit convinced, still urging that he wanted to follow. Keith just answered that by adding more food to his bowl and rushing out the door with the keys and their bags in tow. Shiro was already outside, strapped to a stretcher while he writhed once more in pain.

“I can’t take it, I can’t!” he started to sob, quickly perking his head up when he saw Keith approach. He tried reaching his arms out but was restrained. “Keith! Keith, I can’t!”

“Hold it.” One of the paramedics stopped him from getting inside the ambulance. “We’re already at full capacity. You’ll have to follow behind us.”

“No!” Shiro cried, and when one of them held Shiro down again when he struggled too much, Keith felt all his nerves stand on end and gave a warning growl. “P-please, I need him.”

“Everything will be fine.” When he managed to compose himself, Keith called out to his mate. “I’ll be right behind you, and I’ll meet you at the hospital. Okay? I promise.”

Shiro was still in distress as the back doors were shut, and the ambulance sped off down the road. Keith could feel the misery tugging at him from deep within his soul, but he kept calm as he drove behind them in Shiro’s car. He had to admit: he was nervous. This was one of the most important moments in his life, and he never felt so not ready for it.

At the hospital, he parked and left their bags in the car for now. He just wanted to get to his mate as quickly as possible.

They were in the emergency room entrance, and Keith tried catching his breath once Shiro was helped into a wheelchair. Keith watched him struggle with taking deep breaths, and he took the initiative to move the wheelchair to the helpdesk. As they waited, he saw some familiar faces.

“Keith?” Pidge was walking through and noticed him. She hurried over. “Keith! Shiro!” She grinned and knelt down, turning her attention to Shiro. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m having the baby today,” Shiro said breathlessly with a pained smile.

“You are? Finally!” she cheered. “I’ll let everyone know. We’ll come see you, okay?”

He nodded and smiled, waving goodbye. “Okay. I can’t wait.” He looked over at Keith. “Can you call my parents? Adam’s too?”

“Of course, I can,” he assured as they started to head up to the parental ward. As much as Shiro was in so much pain during his contractions, he was excited and relieved that finally the baby was going to be born. Keith called little Akira’s family so that they could all be there for Shiro, and Krolia was there within the next hour.

Shiro heavily slumped forward against the bed during that time, head resting on his arms with his hips arched. Keith kept close so the gown would still cover him, holding him during his contractions. There was some down time, since they weren’t that close to each other yet, but they were counting their blessings. Keith was there for him while they waited for Dr. Ryner.

There was a knock on the door while they waited in the room. Keith perked up as he was helping Shiro rearrange his pillows in preparation for changing his position. He saw a doctor that he saw only a couple times, and during those times Shiro would roll his eyes, desperately try to get out of conversations with him, or he would mutter to Keith under his breath, _“Just don’t acknowledge him, and he’ll leave you alone.”_

“Dr. Shirogane!” the man grinned as he started to set up. “What a small world.”

“Slav?!” His whole body got tense.

_“Doctor_ Slav,” he corrected. “You shouldn’t be so tense during your contractions, Dr. Shirogane.”

“Where’s Dr. Ryner?”

“She has a full schedule today,” he said. “She told me to help take care of her patients while she was in the delivery ward.”

“Get another doctor,” Shiro glared.

Slav frowned. “Too much change during the delivery could affect the birth! You shouldn’t have so much stress after so many issues so late in your pregnancy.”

“Get another fucking doctor!” he growled as a contraction was tearing right through his body. “I want Dr. Ryner!”

“I’ll go get the medicine.” Slav didn’t seem fazed in the slightest, but Shiro was furious.

“Shiro, babe, remember what we learned in Lamaze. Don’t let this situation get to you.”

“Easy for you to say,” Shiro whined, desperately taking deep breaths after the pain subsided. “You’re not the one that has to push a human being out of an opening the size of a baseball!”

“I know, but I’m here to help you through it best I can. I’m here to get whatever you need.” He offered his hand.

Shiro sighed as he held his hand. His grip was tight, and Keith winced a little but kept calm. He kissed his forehead and did all he could to help him with the stress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](http://twitter.com/cryptic_gabriel)


	11. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a difficult birth, but finally, finally his baby was born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE BABY'S HERE!!  
> With that though, here's a fair warning of descriptions of labor.
> 
> 2 more chapters are left, and I'm so happy that I've gotten this far with the fic! I hope you guys enjoy.

_Slav kept coming in every hour._ Shiro was aggravated that he _still_ wouldn’t find a different doctor, and he just wanted Dr. Ryner here. More visitors started to come in throughout the day. Krolia was here first offering comfort through ice chips and heating pads. Shiro’s parents came in after her, with Adam’s parents offering their help while also being respectful that Shiro and Keith were now newly bonded mates.

He was in so much agony from the stress, despite taking so much advice from his Lamaze class and even from those damn website forums. Several times, his parents and in-laws would urge his friends to leave him in peace, but nothing helped. The best position to ease his pain was to slump heavily against the side of the bed with his hips arched. His belly was hard as a rock for most of the labor, and he spent several hours with tears running down his cheeks.

“Please, don’t let Slav in here again,” he whined as another contraction subsided. They’d been coming consistently and agonizingly for six hours straight.

Keith once made the unfortunate mistake of holding his prosthetic hand, so when he gripped it again during more pain, he nearly started to crush it. “Shiro! Shiro, let go!” he’d gasped, and he did so reluctantly. “I-I can’t stay in here if they have to set my hand.”

“Stop making excuses to stay away from me!” he’d snarled and slumped back, and his hostility kept most except his mother and Keith away.

“Shiro, work through the pain,” his mother chided as he dug his hands deeply into the sheets, rubbing his back. “Soon you’ll be able to deliver your baby and hold him in your arms.”

“Why does it have to hurt so much?” he cried. “I just want him to be here.”

“I know, Kashi,” she crooned and ran her fingers through his hair. “You’re doing great.”

Adam’s mother nodded as she helped adjust the blankets. “She’s right. Eleven hours of labor is a very long time. You’re a trooper.”

He nodded, relaxing for a moment. “I’m scared…”

Keith sighed. “Shiro, you’re doing wonderfully. It can’t be too long, now…”

Slav walked in just as Shiro was finally absorbing their encouragement, and he wanted to cry. “Dr. Shirogane, Dr. Ryner is nearly finished with her delivery schedule, and she’s giving you the option to be with her the rest of your delivery.”

“Bring her in here!” he cried quickly. “Please, I’ve had enough!”

“I’ll say,” he frowned. “Your blood pressure is far too high. There aren’t many sedatives I can give you, but I suggest having proper breathing exercises. Would you like me to work with you on that?”

“No!” Everyone in the room strongly disagreed with that.

“Right. I will send her in here after I check your dilation.”

Shiro whimpered and took a deep breath, laying back and reaching for his family to help him. He was having such a hard time again. Why did Akira want him to go through so much pain? He tried to ignore Slav probing around and checking him, but Keith was a little more on guard about it. His teeth were bared as he held his mate’s shoulder.

Slav pulled back, taking his gloves off. “Wonderful, Dr. Shirogane. You’re fully dilated!”

That was the best thing he heard him say all day. “Thank goodness.” He slumped down again, whimpering from the pain.

“Dr. Ryner will meet you in the delivery room, then,” he said and went to grab nurses to transport him.

Shiro was so relieved, and he smiled tiredly while looking at Keith and his family. “This is it…”

“Perfect,” his mom grinned. “You can do this, Shiro.”

“Good luck,” Krolia assured.

His former mother-in-law gave him a kiss. “It will be over before you know it, Takashi,” she promised. “You’ll do great.”

His father and father-in-law didn’t say much, but Shiro knew that they were supportive of him. He relaxed in the bed before he started to be transported. Keith went with Shiro to the delivery room, and along the way he noticed some of his friends and colleagues were encouraging him from outside, as well.

“Good luck, Shiro!” Hunk grinned.

Lance nodded and waved. “We’ll all be here waiting for you.”

“Thanks, guys,” he smiled, staying calm while holding Keith’s hand. He started feeling more hopeful and took deep breaths. Now that he was somewhat relaxed, he was sure that everything leading up to this moment was going to go according to plan.

\--

_Unfortunately, his already terrible experience was_ getting so much worse. No amount of medicine helped him through the pain, and he’d changed his position several times because of how difficult it was.

“Make it stop!” he sobbed, now squatting above the bed with Keith supporting nearly all his weight. He had to stop straining, losing his breath.

“Deep breaths, Dr. Shirogane,” Dr. Ryner assured. More nurses were coming in. “Everything’s moving along, just slowly.”

“F-fuck!” Shiro swore, writhing and gripping Keith’s hand tighter. “I can’t do it anymore…” His eyes grew mistier with tears, and the more he tried to blink them away, the more distracted he became. He stopped squatting, and with Keith helping with the pillows, he settled on his back with Keith bracing his legs. He whimpered against the strain, the next contraction nearly too much to handle.

“You’ve got this, Shiro!” Keith encouraged.

Shiro just felt extremely discouraged, struggling with the labor and having a hard time at the very end. Keith was there the whole time, however, even with Shiro almost breaking his hand earlier. Dr. Ryner stayed right below where Shiro couldn’t see no matter how far he moved his head back.

His doctor looked up with a sympathetic smile. “Just bear down a little more, Dr. Shirogane. He’s crowning now. Soon I’ll be able to help the rest of the way.”

“Keith, I can’t do it!” Deep down, he knew he could. Or at least, he felt like he could. But he needed that reassurance from his mate now more than ever. He’d read up enough in all the books he’d gathered. The last few pushes were the hardest ones.

During the worst of his contractions, he liked to imagine that Adam was here too, encouraging him and being there to see his son. The nostalgia helped comfort him, and he knew that Keith would be okay with him having these thoughts. He was such a supportive mate. He could almost hear his late husband telling him that he could do this and that he’d been so strong and brave.

Red-faced and sweating, Shiro took several more pained breaths before trying again, every muscle in his body winding up tighter and tighter with each second. His body felt foreign to him at that moment, when he could feel the join between his legs splitting open further than he ever though possible. There was no hint of relief at all, and even with the drugs he’d already had in his system, he couldn’t stop crying from the pain. Just when he was about to beg for his encouragement again, he felt Keith’s lips brush against his temple.

“It’s almost over,” he hummed. “Then we can hold our little boy in our arms, okay?”

It warmed his heart, for a moment. He gave Keith his best smile and went back to focusing, Dr. Ryner bringing him back to the present. A few more deep breaths and a strain of a lifetime later, all of the pressure below his waist built up excruciatingly while he screamed out. It felt like it took forever for it to ease completely, but once it did, Shiro fell back, legs buckling from exhaustion.

Keith was right there to hold him and keep him comfortable, and the moment Shiro’s senses started to come back to him, he heard a raspy wail. He tried to open his eyes as he felt more of Keith’s careful kisses, but his consciousness kept fading in and out. Then he heard more cries from his baby, and that kept him awake a little longer.

“You did it, baby,” he heard Keith tell him happily. “God, look at him. S-Shiro, he’s perfect.”

He heard his voice break and trembled. Shiro lifted his head up, seeing that Dr. Ryner was holding his son, bare and squirming in her hands. His eyes softened, and he did his best to blink back tears with no success.

“My baby,” he wept, and he couldn’t take his eyes off him. “Akira…”

He felt Keith kiss his hair, and he looked up at him to see that he had tears in his eyes as well. He gave him a watery smile as they shared a brief kiss. Dr. Ryner had to move the baby away and with a nurse to get him cleaned up as Shiro went through the afterbirth.

“I-is he okay?” His voice was soft, wavering with each breath. He was thoroughly exhausted now that it was all over.

The next moment he saw a nurse walking over with the swaddled bundle. The cries coming from him grew louder and more desperate, like he was searching for comfort. Keith was the one that helped him hold him, and upon their first official meeting, Shiro broke.

Akira was so small and fragile, eyes scrunched shut tightly while he cried. He shivered a bit in the change in air, but Shiro made it his mission to help keep him warm. Through his own tears, he gave his son as much comfort as he could, a tired and elated smile blossoming from ear to ear.

“Hi… Hello, my darling,” he murmured, and at the sound of his voice, the baby’s cries started to wane. With tired little whimpers, he snuggled closer to his father’s warmth. “It’s okay, baby. Papa’s going to make it all better. You’re okay.”

When he looked up to take a glance at Keith, they shared another gentle smile together.

Keith crooned softly from the back of his throat and kissed him once more. “You did so well, my mate.” He happily took them both in his arms, settling down next to him in the bed. “I’ve never seen anything so perfect in my entire life.”

Shiro smiled while his eyes fluttered closed. He knew that Adam was smiling down at them and loving Akira from where he was. Everything was perfect now, and he was so happy that his baby had such a big and happy family now. He went to look at his child once more, but he grew lightheaded as a nurse gently took his son from him. He went to protest, but he quickly grew tired and went unconscious.

\--

_Shiro was bed bound after the_ birth. The stress from labor and the heavy strain put on his body took a huge toll on his body. That was a complication that was briefly talked about when Adam was still alive. Since it was thought that he was most likely infertile after his accident in the war, so after he’d gotten pregnant it was concluded that his organs were fairly fragile. It was theorized that Akira would wreak havoc on his body during his delivery, but Shiro never mentioned that publicly. He didn’t matter to him at the time how badly he’d be hurting after giving birth, as long as his baby was okay.

And he was. Oh, Akira was perfectly healthy and very alert. Shiro, however, could barely move, let alone get up to tend to his baby’s cries. However, Keith was there to help at a moment’s notice. Shiro was so grateful to have such an amazing mate.

The tired Omega was holding his child in his arms after just waking up, enjoying his youthful scent and giving him all the love and affection he needed. When the newborn opened his eyes, he smiled fondly at him and gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead. He was the light of his life, and he still couldn’t take his eyes off him.

There was a knock on his door, and Keith sat up as a nurse walked in. “Hi, Dr. Shirogane,” she smiled. “Just coming in to check your blood pressure again. How’s the little guy doing?”

“He’s incredibly alert,” he hummed happily, voice hoarse with exhaustion. He rested Akira on his lap, which he protested with a tiny whine. He didn’t quite trust holding him with just his prosthetic yet, not wanting to risk his safety. “His eyes are very bright.”

“That’s great to hear,” she smiled as she checked his blood pressure. “He really is adorable.”

“Thank you,” he grinned, wistfully looking down at his son while his tiny legs stretched out.

“Okay…” She finished up and looked at him. “We’re not quite out of the woods yet. Your blood pressure’s almost fully stabilized. Just hang tight for a little longer.”

After she left, Shiro went back to holding his baby again. He’d been skirting around his health until now, and the full weight of his complications was starting to come down on him. He’d heard Dr. Ryner say that he might need physical therapy. In the moment it did hurt terribly, but he didn’t think that Akira caused _that_ much damage to his body.

“How’re you feeling?” Keith asked while fixing their blankets.

“I’m exhausted,” he huffed and looked up.

“How come you never mentioned anything?” Keith murmured, sitting beside him on the bed. “Dr. Ryner told me that you received so many warnings during your first appointments.”

“I wanted to have my baby,” was all he said at first. “It didn’t matter to me how much damage I took. And after Adam died, having Akira was even more important to me. I barely talked about all that with my therapist.”

“I know, but your health is important too.” He kissed his cheek. “We’ll get through this together. Okay?”

Shiro nodded while he smiled. His attention was brought back down to the bundle in his arms, the couple smiling down at the newborn. Keith took one of his tiny hands with his finger, letting out a breathless laugh when Akira squeezed it tightly.

“Akira…” Shiro cooed as the baby opened his eyes once more. “Hi, sweetheart. You see your daddy?”

Keith’s eyes sparkled, and Shiro noticed he looked very emotional once again. “Hey, little man. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you for so long.” They kissed each other gently as Akira let out a yawn. “I love you,” Keith hummed.

“I love you too.” He smiled warmly and glanced towards the door. “Is everyone still here?”

He nodded and smiled. “Your parents and Adam’s parents are outside. My mom is, too. Allura’s so anxious to meet the baby, and some of your coworkers have been hanging around.”

“They’re outside?” he smiled. “Bring them in. One at a time…”

Keith started to go out of their room, giving Shiro another moment alone with his baby. He looked down at his son and smiled, watching him rest and sleep soundly in his arms. He was so small, and the elephant pajamas he wore made him look even tinier. Just staying here like this made Shiro feel so peaceful, and he was so excited to raise him and give him all the love he needed.

“It’s time to meet your family, my darling,” he crooned and nuzzled him. “They all love you so much… Not many kids can say they have three grandmothers.” He grinned, adjusting himself to sit up in the bed. “Your daddy loves you so much. And your father would be so proud that you’re here if he saw you now. You look just like him.”

When the door opened again, he looked up, excitedly grinning when seeing his parents come in first. Krolia and Adam’s parents came in right behind them. He was glad they were all here to see him first.

“Hi…” he grinned as he looked at them. They were in awe while seeing their grandson for the first time. “Everyone, this is Akira… Akira Wallace-Shirogane.”

“He’s so precious,” his mother gasped. “You did such a wonderful job, Takashi.”

“Thank you,” he blushed and handed the baby off for each of his grandparents to hold him. He watched them all look down at their grandson, each adult having a turn.

Adam’s parents were the most emotional, and Shiro understood why. This was the one thing that their son left behind, and now they were holding him in their arms. Shiro would never have thought of separating him from them, so he was pleased that they reached out to him. They were healing more from this experience.

“Hello, Akira,” his former father-in-law murmured when holding him. “You look so much like your father.”

He smiled softly, listening to them gushing over Akira. He relaxed and settled back down in the pillows. “He does, doesn’t he?” he hummed. “He’s perfect.”

“I agree.” Krolia looked at the child warmly once she got the chance to hold him. “Hi, little one.”

Keith held Shiro’s hand. Shiro felt him kiss it and hummed while looking over. They shared another kiss, letting their parents and in-laws indulge and coddle their new grandchild. Shiro was so happy that they all got along so well.

“I was so worried that he wouldn’t have a family,” he said softly. “And if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have them all here right now. So, thank you.”

“Of course. Anything for you, my Omega.”

The grandparents were reluctant to go, but it was time for their friends to have a turn visiting. Hunk, Matt, Pidge, and Lance were all still in their work clothes. Allura brought a bag of small gifts with her. Even Keith’s friends stopped by. They were all so happy to see Akira, and with all of them and their families giving his baby love, he felt content that he was going to be a sweet and happy child.

\--

_Shiro and Akira were allowed to_ come home three days later. He was able to walk on his own only for brief periods of time. Dr. Ryner advised that he’d only use those times just for short distances.

He sat in the back seat of the car next to Akira’s car seat, unable to take his eyes off him. He rested against the blanket wrapped up around the baby, smiling fondly and holding his tiny hand in his finger.

“You’re going to love your new home,” he crooned. “Your room is nice and big. And you also have a big brother named Kosmo. He’s very nice, and he loves you so much.”

“He does,” Keith agreed with a grin. They pulled up in the parking lot, and Keith helped Shiro inside the building.

Keith carried Akira in his car seat in one arm, and with his other arm he helped keep Shiro propped up to walk up the stairs. Shiro had to hold onto him for almost dear life, legs nearly giving out a couple times on the way up. They were both relieved to reach the apartment without incidents, and Keith brought them both inside.

Kosmo eager greeted them at the door, hurrying to sniff at Shiro and nuzzle into his hand. Once they got to the master bedroom, Shiro rested on the bed with Kosmo jumping up with him.

“Careful,” he chuckled as the dog happily perked up at seeing the bundle in the car seat. “You’ll get your turn.”

Keith carefully took him out of the seat and settled him in Shiro’s arms. He smiled brightly as Kosmo stared curiously.

“Kosmo, this is Akira,” he said gently as he watched Kosmo rest his head on his lap. Akira was fast asleep, but Kosmo would not take his eyes off him. Shiro felt safe with him watching over the two of them. “He’s real tiny, isn’t he?”

“I’ll go get the bags,” Keith assured and stepped out of the room.

Shiro shifted his weight, wincing slightly as he turned on his side. Akira curled up beside him on the pillow, and he gently cradled his son in his arms. Kosmo shifted close to nuzzle the baby’s leg, and the three of them stayed like this together.

The newborn made a soft noise in his sleep, snoring quietly as Shiro smiled at him. He gave him a careful kiss, eyes droopy. “I love you so much, my darling.”


	12. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira brightens up their world and fills their hearts with love.
> 
> They just didn't expect what it'd be like when Shiro goes into heat for the first time since having the baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO MAMA, it's been a while! Sorry about that. I kinda got blocked on what to do to finish this. There's one more chapter after this!
> 
> I love writing baby fluff, and there's a scene where I was totally inspired by "More Than I Can Say," especially the cover with the lovely woman that serenaded her puppy. That brought me to tears ;w; That kind of fluff needs to be paid forward!
> 
> I've loved writing this au so much! Hopefully I'll have more inspiration to add one shots to this au, like I did with "A Little Bit Of Time." But for now, it's almost the end ;;; Thank you guys for your support, and I hope this update was worth the wait. I'll post the last chapter hopefully very soon! Thanks for being so patient! <3

_Keith was startled awake hearing Akira_ crying from the nursery. They’d been home for three weeks now, and Keith truly didn’t mind the lack of sleep. He enjoyed being a dad and everything that went with it. Shiro was still sound asleep, so he willfully volunteered, getting out of bed and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Akira was changed before being put down at ten at night. It was now two in the morning, so he was hungry. Keith saw the baby squirming in his crib and whimpering, and he picked him up while starting to soothe him.

“Hey there, little one,” he crooned. “Hey… It’s okay, baby.” He quietly padded over to the kitchen, Akira’s sobs tapering into whimpers. “I know. I’m getting your bottle.”

He brought him down the hall, gently rocking him in one arm while he warmed up his bottle. He looked down while he waited and kissed his forehead.

“You’re okay…” he hummed. “Papa is very tired, so let’s be quiet, okay? We can do that, right?”

The response he got was a tiny whine, the little baby clenching his fists. Within several moments, he had the bottle ready and started to feed him. Keith smiled warmly and walked down the hall with him. The baby’s audible suckling on the nipple was the only sound in the apartment, and it was so peaceful to watch him and hear him breathing in between gulps.

“Wow, you were really hungry, huh?” he chuckled and sat down on the bed with him. He took great care to not disturb his mate. “You’re gonna be big and strong, just like your papa.”

After a couple moments, he started to burp him. Akira whined at the loss of formula, but Keith crooned to him to keep him at peace.

“…Keith?”

He looked up when he heard Shiro groggily wake up, and he was stirring and wincing faintly.

“Keith, what’s going on?” he mumbled, rubbing his face.

Keith looked over, Akira calming down more now that he was being fed again. “It’s alright. He’s just hungry.”

He nodded and smiled, slowly sitting up against the pillows. “Can I hold him?”

“Of course,” he chuckled and supported him while he was being fed from his bottle.

Shiro held Akira carefully, smiling down at him with tired eyes. The infant’s eyes were wide and curious while suckling, and he snuggled up in his swaddle. His father leaned down to give him a precious kiss on his forehead.

“Hello, my love,” he crooned to his son. “Did you sleep well?”

Keith smiled warmly and shifted closer. He gave Shiro a kiss and gently held Shiro’s head. “He loves you, Shiro. Look at how he’s watching you.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, in awe as he paid more attention. “And he loves you, Keith.”

The thought warmed his heart, and Akira was burped once more after he was done. The little family kept close to each other, the two parents letting the baby rest between them. Keith stayed awake to keep an eye on Akira while Shiro started to rest.

“I could stay like this with him all day,” he swooned tiredly. “He’s just… he’s perfect. I can’t believe there was ever a time where I was afraid of him being born.”

“We don’t have to worry about that now,” Keith assured him. His eyes were drawn to Akira as well, who was cooing softly and now drifting to sleep. “He’s such a good, happy baby…”

“Mhm,” he purred and kissed the infant’s tiny head once more while closing his eyes. “Papa loves you so much, my darling.”

\--

_Keith didn’t want to go back_ to work at all, but he needed to support his growing family. He went back once Akira was a month old, and he missed his son every day. He shared pictures of him all the time at work, and he was the light of his life. Every single day, he was so grateful to Shiro for letting him be a part of his family.

“He could probably fit in the palm of my hand,” Antok chuckled was he looked at the picture. “He’s adorable.”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “I can’t wait to go home and hold him.”

“Aww, Keith is an honorary daddy,” Regris teased with a grin. “He won’t have time for us anymore.”

“Hey, of course I will,” he assured. “Once he’s a little older, we can spend a lot more time together again. Shiro’s still healing.”

“I hope he feels better soon.”

“Thank you. He’s getting better every day.” He trailed off as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He opened it and saw a message from Shiro: **“Akira misses his daddy.”** Attached was a picture of the baby with his wide eyes open and Kosmo resting his muzzle on his belly. They both looked so adorable together! Keith swore that he felt tears in his eyes at the sight. “Speaking of, I’d better go. I’ll see you guys another time.”

“Aww, so soon?” Antok frowned. “Well, don’t forget about us.”

“Forget you guys? Never,” he grinned and stepped out. “Bye!”

He was already just so excited to come home. He hurried to their apartment, wanting to share more special moments with his mate and child. He was a little weary from work, but that was all the more reason to distract himself.

“I’m home!” he called as he slumped through the threshold. He heard music down the hall, and he followed the noise into the master bedroom.

Shiro was standing up while folding laundry. He was able to walk around a little more after weeks of bed rest. He was also doing very well in physical therapy, staying resilient and positive. Kosmo rested on the bed while his tail wagged, most of his attention focused on Akira. The infant was propped up on several pillows, and he was reaching his arms out and lightly kicking his little legs. His eyes were bright as he looked around the room.

“Hi, Keith.” Shiro smiled breathlessly as he looked up. “Hey, I’m making progress working around the house!”

“I see…” He happily kept close and gave him a tender kiss. He glanced back at the bed. “Akira. Hi, sweet baby…”

He crawled onto the bed next to Kosmo, wrapping an arm around him while the other reached out to hold his son’s hand. Akira couldn’t take his eyes off him upon seeing him. He was happily kicking his legs again.

“Yes, baby, it’s Daddy,” Shiro grinned as he settled on the bed, too. “He missed you so much today, Keith.”

“Aww, I missed you too.” He reached up to kiss his cheek. “Work was so boring. I wanted to just be with you and Kosmo and Papa.”

Shiro ran his fingers through Keith’s hair, taking a deep breath. “I’m supposed to go back to work soon.”

He glanced up. “How can you think about working right now? You just got enough strength back to walk again.”

“I know, but I need to start saving up money to put away for him.” He looked at Keith pleadingly. “Believe me, I don’t want to go back. I know it’s going to be hard. But everything I do is for Akira. I’m doing what’s best for him. You know this…”

“I do. I just want to make sure you’re okay too.”

He smiled faintly. “I will be. I love you.” He gave him a slow kiss.”

“I love you, too,” Keith insisted.

\--

_“Why did I agree to do_ this?” Shiro whined as he was getting ready for work.

“My mom is perfectly fine with watching him,” Keith insisted. “Everything is under control.”

“But he needs me.” Shiro stared longingly at Akira, who was relaxing in his baby swing while Krolia was reading a book. “I can’t leave him. What if he misses me?”

“I’m sure he will,” he said and gave him a kiss. “But you and I both know that we have the baby’s best interests in mind. You will see him again later.”

“Yeah, but…” He whimpered and hurried over to the baby swing, leaning down to his level and reaching to kiss his chubby cheek. “Akira, Papa loves you so, so much. I’ll miss you an awful lot at work today. I will see you very soon.”

“So will Daddy,” Keith chuckled by the door. “Shiro, you’re gonna be late on your first day back.”

Shiro wiped his eyes and reluctantly walked to the door. He kept looking back at Akira and waving goodbye. The baby noticed that he was leaving and reached his arms out, whining softly.

“Oh, I can’t leave him!” he mourned.

“He will be fine not long after you leave,” Krolia assured. “And he’ll be so happy to see you when you come back. You’d better hurry on to work.”

Akira was already crying, which had Shiro starting to cry too. Keith thought quickly and gently coaxed his mate out of the apartment.

“Bye, Mom. Love you!” He shut the door behind them and sighed.

“He’s crying, he needs me!” he whimpered, but he was reluctantly following Keith out the door anyways.

“He’s okay.” He held Shiro’s shoulders. “Akira will be fine. It’s the first day you guys are apart, of course he’ll be upset.”

“Y-yeah, but what if he stays mad at me?”

“That’s impossible,” he chuckled. “You’re too lovable. He’ll be so happy to see you.” He gave him a kiss. “So, are you going to be okay?’

His lip was still quivering, but he nodded. “Yeah. I think I’ll be fine.”

“Good. Now, let’s go to work,” he crooned, holding his hand. “I’m sure all your colleagues will be happy to see your baby pictures.”

“I’ll definitely be sharing them,” he smiled. “My phone’s library is full of them.”

Keith slowly talked him down from his anxiety during their walk to the parking lot. He kissed him goodbye, and they parted ways, albeit reluctantly. He thought about something during his drive to work.

Shiro’s scent that he carried from his pregnancy was officially gone, replaced with his natural scent. Keith’s deep worry was that he would end up not liking it because he was so used to the gestational pheromones. However, he was pleasantly surprised. Shiro had this fresh, earthy scent that sent shivers down his spine. If it was at all possible, he could confirm that he was falling in love with him all over again.

\--

_The first time they made Akira_ laugh was completely by accident.

Shiro had music playing while cleaning around the house, and Akira was kicking his legs in the baby seat. Keith was cooking dinner and watching Shiro dance in between his chores.

“Aah!” Akira suddenly cooed and kicked his legs harder against the swing while watching his papa dance. He was so excited.

Shiro noticed and grinned as he turned to face him. “Hey Keith, watch this.”

Keith perked up just as he put their meal in the oven. He walked into the living room, watching Shiro sift through songs on his phone.

“The other day, I noticed that he has a favorite song.”

“He does?” Keith smiled. “It’s not ‘Baby Shark,’ is it?”

“Oh god, no,” Shiro laughed. “I actually found it completely by accident. I was… well, when I was pregnant with him and before we got together, I would play this playlist on a loop. It was songs from mine and Adam’s wedding.”

“Oh?” He raised a brow.

“Yeah. Well, there was this one song that I guess stood out over all the other ones after he was born, and it came on while I was cleaning the other day. I was starting to get upset, but… well, just watch the baby.”

Keith chuckled and leaned against the wall. The song that started to play was vaguely familiar. It was an eighties love song called _“More Than I Can Say.”_ But as soon as Leo Sayer started to sing, Akira’s face lit up so bright, and for the first time, Keith saw his lips quirk up in a big, toothless smile.

“I think it might be the beat and the singing voice,” Shiro grinned, “but he loves it. Every time I play it, he smiles like that and dances by kicking his legs.”

Kosmo wagged his tail while he was watching the infant dance. Keith vaguely knew the words to the song, so he started to sing along. It wasn’t as nice in his opinion, but he decided he was going to have some fun and serenade to the baby.

_“Whoa, whoa, yay, yay,_

_I love you more than I can say._

_I’ll love you twice as much tomorrow, whoa,_

_Love you more than I can say.”_

Akira started to giggle. It must’ve been because of his facial expressions while he sang, because he exaggerated them a bit for the fun of it.

“Oh, he’s laughing!” Shiro grinned. He hurried to record it, getting Keith serenading to their son on camera.

_“…Oh, don’t you know I need you so?_

_Oh, tell me please. I gotta know._

_Do you mean to make me cry?_

_Am I just another guy?”_

The baby still giggled and reached his arms out. Keith happily took him out of his swing so that he could dance with him during the solo. Keith could see Shiro recording him from the corner of his eye, and he swore he saw tears in his eyes from the sentiment of it all.

_“I love you more than I can say!_

_I’ll love you twice as much tomorrow!”_

Keith happily took Shiro’s hand as he said it, holding Akira close in his free arm. He watched his mate’s face turn red. Both parents were more than sure that the baby was going to absolutely love this song now.

“Okay baby, look away. Daddy’s gonna give Papa a big, fat kiss,” Keith grinned as Shiro stopped recording.

Shiro laughed and moved closer so that they could share a kiss.

The timer started to go off, so Keith reluctantly handed Akira back to Shiro to make sure he didn’t burn their dinner.

“Oh, my little angel,” Shiro cooed as Akira giggled some more. “Wanna help Papa clean? You live here too, you know.”

Keith chuckled, shaking his head teasingly as Shiro sang to their son during the next song.

\--

_Akira was five months old and_ teething when it happened. It was the middle of the night, and Keith was just settling down after comforting the infant. He’d been sobbing from the pain of his teeth coming in for hours straight, and after trying every remedy in the book, Akira was finally asleep. Shiro had started not feeling well earlier in the night, so Keith managed it all by himself.

When he finally slumped back into bed, he noticed a change in the air. Shiro’s already heavenly scent was magnified and thick. Keith found it so intoxicating as he shifted closer to check on him. He gave him a gentle kiss on his shoulder, only to find that his mate trembled and whimpered at the touch. His skin was so hot.

Oh _shit._

Shiro was in heat.

“Shiro?” He gently rubbed his shoulder. “Shiro, can you hear me?”

The Omega started to whine a little louder, opening his watery eyes. “I-it hurts, Alpha.”

Neither of them expected that his heat was going to start right back up again so soon. They’d been so busy taking care of Akira that they lost track of that. Keith pulled the blankets off them and turned on the light. Shiro’s pants he wore to bed were soaked through with slick.

“Oh, Shiro…” he gasped, waiting for his mat to turn and face him before they started undressing each other. “You need it bad, huh?”

Shiro’s lip quivered while he nodded his head. “Please.”

Neither of them wasted any time. Having sex without Shiro having a big belly in the way was an experience in of itself, but Keith immediately found that sex with Shiro during heat was far more addicting than sex with Shiro while he was pregnant. Keith immediately got lost in the tight, wet heat surrounding his cock, and his thrusts got so hard and fast that the bed was slamming against the wall. Thankfully, this wall was facing the window.

Shiro could barely contain his cries, entire body clinging to Keith while he begged for more nonstop. No matter how hard Keith fucked him, it wasn’t enough. He took it as a fucking _amazing_ challenge.

No one could prepare them for what it would be like their very first heat together, especially since it was Shiro’s first heat after having a kid. Maybe they should’ve been more careful or called a sitter first thing, because they barely made it through the second round of what could only be described as feral sex before Akira started crying again from the pain in his cutting gums.

“F-fuck,” Keith gasped as he briefly sobered up. He started to slow to a stop, but Shiro _growled_ at him and gripped him tightly by the waist.

“Do _not_ stop,” he grunted. “Don’t you dare.”

“But the baby—”

“Don’t stop!” he repeated, nails digging hard into Keith’s sensitive skin.

He was torn, but he did what his Omega asked of him. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and Keith needed to make sure that he was cooled enough to keep a level head. Then they could take care of Akira.

Their climaxes were explosive, with Shiro’s body convulsing from deep pleasure. Keith’s not swelled, and he slumped heavily against him, gasping for air. It was when the humid air finally began to cool when Shiro started thinking straight again. At this point, their poor child was sobbing once more from the pain. They should be taking care of him, but now they were stuck in a knot for several more minutes. And the first thing Shiro did at this realization was start to cry.

“Shiro…” He crooned and stroked his sweaty hair back.

“I’m such a bad parent,” Shiro whimpered. “H-he needs me, and I didn’t even care!”

“No, Shiro. No…” Keith gave him a kiss. “I-I mean, yes our priorities were questionable, but you’re in heat. You weren’t in the right frame of mind right then to take care of him yet anyways. We still have a bit of time before your heat spikes again, so let’s call my mom so that she can take care of him.”

Shiro nodded helplessly. “I completely forgot about suppressants,” he whimpered. “I’m sorry. We’re _so_ not ready to be doing this right now.”

“I know,” he frowned. “But don’t worry about that. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

After Keith was finally able to pull out, they both quickly slipped on robes so that they could get up and take care of their baby. Keith ran to the kitchen to grab a teething ring, and Shiro carefully took him out of his crib.

“Oh, Akira…” He crooned, still sounding upset. “Oh, my baby. I’m so sorry. We’re here now.” He nuzzled him as the baby started to calm slightly because of the sound of his papa’s voice. “I know, sweetheart. I know it hurts. Daddy’s coming with your teething ring.”

When Keith met Shiro in the nursery, he walked in to see him carefully putting teething gel on Akira’s gums. The baby still whimpered, fat tears streaking his face as his tiny fists clenched around nothing. He calmed down significantly once the teething ring was in his mouth. That combined with the gel reduced what once was pained sobs to shaky hiccups.

“There we go, sweetheart…” Shiro kissed his forehead. “All better? We’re here now.”

“I’ll call my mom,” Keith sighed, keeping close to the two of them as he did so.

He listened to Shiro singing a gentle lullaby to their son while he was on the phone. Soothed by Shiro’s voice, the baby closed his watery eyes while still sucking on the teething ring.

“She’s on her way,” Keith then assured as he hung up. “Are you doing okay?”

Shiro nodded after a moment. “I still feel really guilty. I wish we were more prepared.”

“I know. But we’re prepared now,” he assured with a gentle smile. “You’re a great dad, Shiro.”

He smiled and gave him a gentle kiss. “Thank you, Keith.” His cheeks then turned a little red. “B-by the way… I gotta say, that was your best performance.”

Keith blushed darkly and chuckled. “You think so?”

He bashfully nodded. “I-I’d better pack up the diaper bag for Krolia, before my heat spikes again.”

“Go ahead.” Keith carefully took Akira from him as Shiro went rummaging for supplies.

Akira whimpered while trying to fall asleep, and Keith carefully rocked him and stepped out of the nursery. He walked around the apartment, and Kosmo was right on his heels.

“I know that there’s a lot that I still don’t know about being a dad,” Keith murmured to the child. “Your papa has waited his whole life to meet you, and you’re his whole world. I didn’t even know I wanted a baby until I met him. But I’ll tell you this, little guy. You and your papa are the best things that have ever happened to me.” He smiled and kissed his forehead. “And I love you so much more than I can ever say.”

After Krolia came by to pick him up, the night went on without any other incidents. Keith never once regretted his decisions that led him up to this point, but after tonight, he knew that his feelings were never going to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


	13. Epilogue - Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes far too quickly for Shiro. Over the next year, so much goes through his mind as he realizes he hasn't been feeling well since his last heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S. THE END.  
> I'M SAD IT'S OVER, BUT I'M ALSO SO HAPPY IT'S FINISHED.
> 
> This entire chapter is just  
> "You can't cram a whole year and a half in one chapter!" you say,  
> and I say, "WATCH ME."
> 
> Content warnings for a brief depressive episode, nausea/vomiting, and a C-section
> 
> Thank you so much for being on this journey with me! I'm going to miss writing this fic ;;; This was definitely one of my favorites to do, and I'm so glad you've made it this far and enjoyed it. I read all of your comments and appreciate every single one of them, even though I'm super introverted. I love all of you! Thank you! <3

 

 

**Seven Months Later…**

 

 

_Shiro’s head rested heavily against the_ edge of the toilet bowl. He had been so sick the last several months. In fact, his last heat was three months earlier. In the forefront was the worry that he might be pregnant again. It was way too soon. Things had just gotten back to a steady rhythm in the household, with both him and his mate back in their careers and Akira now being one.

_Oh._ His son’s birthday was today.

He’d nearly forgotten this morning, too focused on throwing up. He’d called in sick the past few days and felt relieved that today he’d already taken off. Keith took off too and was sleeping in this morning. Hopefully, he was blissfully unaware that he hadn’t kept anything down since his nausea first began, several weeks ago.

The room finally stopped spinning long enough for him to stand up. He looked like hell. Shiro hoped to look a little more appealing after washing his mouth out and his face, but that only took him so far. He’d heard Akira cooing in his room for the past hour, so he knew he need to go to him.

“Just get through today,” Shiro told himself. “This is for Akira.”

He started thinking about last year around this same time. He was still in labor, struggling to bring his child to the world. And since then, going through those three hundred sixty-five days, he felt so blessed. He remembered fearing that he’d break his fragile body inhis arms when he held him for the first time. He remembered crying and holding him close to his chest. He remembered Keith kissing him and telling him what a wonderful job he did.

And now, he was growing more sure that he was doing it all over again.

Well, he was going to find out for sure after his appointment today with Dr. Ryner. He wanted to be absolutely positive that this was a baby and not some dangerous illness. The latter was highly unlikely.

When Shiro finally stepped outside of the room, he quietly walked into the nursery. Akira was already standing up in his crib, holding onto the railing and bouncing up and down at seeing his papa. He cooed in delight, and Shiro couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face.

“Happy Birthday, my darling,” he grinned, carefully picking him up. “You know what that means, little one? It means that you’re one year old. Last year, you were _so small.”_ He gently tickled his belly, which had Akira squealing and giggling. “Your grandparents are all going to be here today, and you’ll get lots of presents and cake. Today is your special day.”

“Pa—aa!” Akira clapped his hands as Shiro happily brought him out.

While Shiro made breakfast and kept a watchful eye on his son crawling at the speed of light on the living room carpet, Keith walked down the hall while itching his side. At seeing him, Akira squealed happily and raced over to his feet on his hands and knees.

“Da-da!”

“Hey, speedster!” Keith grinned and picked him up. “Happy Birthday. Look at you! You’ll be in the baby Olympics in no time.”

Shiro smiled as he watched Keith sit on the carpet and start to play with their child. He felt a little more confident about doing this all over again, but there was still the fear that Keith would think this was too soon.

“Keith?” he called while setting the table. “I have to stop by the doctor’s today before our families get here.”

“Doctor?” Keith looked over and frowned. “Hopefully they’ll have a second opinion on what’s wrong. You haven’t kept anything down…” He looked so concerned, and Shiro felt bad for keeping him out of the loop when he clearly noticed. “I hope one of your patients didn’t make you sick.”

“I’m sure it’s not too serious,” he assured. He was already sure he was pregnant without a doubt in his mind. “I’ll be back in time, before we have to get ready for the party.”

“Alright.” Keith gave him a kiss. “Good luck. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He sighed and gave his baby a kiss goodbye before leaving.

\--

_Shiro was nervous as he was_ left with the weight of the news he’d just received. He sat in his car, still stuck in the medical parking lot without any intentions of driving away. His hands were shaking when he tried to just hold the steering wheel for a moment. He was right.

He was pregnant again. He was three months along, and he was scared. How come it took him so long to notice? He had so many things to think about. He was just months from receiving his Doctorate. Akira just turned one. His relationship with Keith was still fairly new. His body took a lot of damage after giving birth the first time. What if Dr. Ryner would tell him that he couldn’t keep them? He was already so scared.

Tears welled in his eyes, and he covered his face as he broke down. How was he going to tell Keith? He shouldn’t today. It was Akira’s special day. But he really needed his comfort right now. Maybe he should do something to help lighten the news.

Once he relaxed enough to drive, he went over to the department store near his apartment. He made sure to stick with the theme he and Keith had chosen for Akira’s party. And while there, he found the best way to break the news without causing too much stress. He found the perfect shirt that would fit Akira.

He started to relax now that he had a plan, and upon coming home he got ready for the party. Their families arrived a couple hours later. Shiro’s and Adam’s parents all excitedly gave their grandson presents, and Krolia brought some as well. Akira seemed as disinterested as ever, and it was adorable trying to get him to be invested.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Shiro laughed as Akira smacked the next present before clapping his hands. “Wanna open it together?”

“Paaa,” the baby pouted as Shiro helped him.

“Oh! Look at this,” Shiro grinned as he showed what Adam’s parents got him. It was a brand new walker with jungle animals on it. “How nice, Akira. Say thank you to Nanny and Pop Pop.”

Akira just looked at the walker and patted it with his hand.

Adam’s mother was excited regardless of his reaction. “Oh, he’ll love it.”

Shiro’s parents got him lots of clothes. Krolia had a stuffed animal and toys for him. Akira seemed more entertained that the grownups were excited than the fact that it was his birthday and he was receiving these gifts.

“It’s nearly time for cake.” Shiro then stated as Adam’s parents knelt down to start playing with the baby. “Mom, can you come help me in the kitchen?” He hoped to tell about his pregnancy to her first, so that he can feel more relaxed about telling Keith.

His mother followed him into the kitchen. “Are you feeling okay, Kashi? You look distracted.”

He blushed while taking the decorated birthday cake out of the fridge. “Yes, I’m okay. But there’s something that I want to tell you. You’ll be the first to know.”

“Really?” Her face then lit up. “Kashi, are you pregnant?”

His face was still a deep red as he nodded his head. “Yeah. I am.”

“Oh, Kashi!” She grinned and took Shiro in her arms. “That’s wonderful! Does Keith know?”

“Not yet.” He kept close to her. “I’m really nervous. I-I mean, Akira just turned one. And I’m worried about the baby because of the complications I had after Akira was born.”

His mom kissed his forehead. “Takashi, it’s okay to be nervous. But everything will work out. You’ll see. Keith will be so thrilled!”

Shiro blushed, looking down at his body. He was starting to show a little, now that he thought about it. He had a small bump right where he started showing the last time. Seeing it made him feel anxious, but joy was overpowering it. “I wanted to tell him today, but I don’t want to upset Adam’s parents.”

“You’d never upset them over raising your own family,” she insisted. “Regardless of you being in a new relationship, you still let them see their grandson as much as they want to. You having another baby doesn’t change that.”

He smiled faintly. “I guess you’re right. Maybe I’ll still wait, though. Until tonight. I got Akira the most adorable shirt for the baby reveal.”

“That sounds so cute!” she grinned. “Tell me all about it, okay Kashi?”

Shiro nodded and held the cake in both hands. “Thanks, Mom.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before they stepped out of the kitchen together.

Shiro took lots of pictures while everyone sang to his son. Akira sat in his high chair, and almost immediately after the candles were blown out, he smushed his face in the cake. His grandparents were laughing, and Shiro helped clean his face while grinning in spite of himself. It took a lot of effort to take the cake away from Akira without making him cry, for he kept digging into it with his hands and stuffing his face with the tasty dessert. From what was left over, everyone enjoyed it.

When it was time to say goodbye, Shiro’s mother stayed a little bit longer to talk to him while they cleaned up. Keith was getting ready to give Akira a bath.

“Are you going to be okay to tell him tonight, Kashi?” she asked him sweetly. “You don’t want to keep it from him for too long.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. It’s everything, really.”

“I understand.” She smiled and kissed his forehead. “He’ll be so happy, Takashi. You two are both wonderful parents. Don’t let a little bit of fear hold this back from him, okay?”

“I won’t.” He smiled and gave her a hug. “I promise. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too.” She reluctantly started to leave. “Good luck, Kashi. We’ll talk again soon.”

“Bye.” He slowly shut the door. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the bathroom. He started to feel a little nauseated, but he held it back in favor of watching his mate and son bond together.

“You really loved that cake, didn’t you?” Keith grinned while gently washing his face.

Akira kept trying to squirm his head in protest, but Keith distracted and entertained him with his toys. Watching them made Shiro smile. Keith was such a good father, so diligent and kind. He felt his hand impulsively touch his belly, and he imagined how Keith would be with this child. Shiro was more than sure that Keith would be just as loving and would give them as much love as he gave Akira every single day.

Keith probably felt Shiro’s eyes on him and perked up, giving him a smile. “Hey, what are you giving me that look for?”

“N-no reason.” He blushed and sat on the toilet seat and, watching Akira play. “Today was such a good day.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, leaning up and giving him a kiss. “So, what did the doctor say?”

Shiro gulped. “Well, it’s not a rare and contagious disease. So, that’s good news.”

“But are you sick?” Keith pressed.

He shook his head. “I’m perfectly healthy.”

“Then, why aren’t you keeping anything down?”

He smiled fondly, rubbing Keith’s shoulder. “That’s only something I have to worry about. However, there’s something we must talk about.”

“You’re making me nervous,” Keith teased with a smile. “Did I do something bad?”

“Oh, never,” he assured and kissed him. “Lemme take Akira to get changed. I had one more present for him that I wanted to show just you.”

“Aren’t I special?” Keith grinned.

Shiro carefully took Akira out of the bath once he was rinsed off. “Did you have a good birthday, darling? You got such amazing gifts.”

“Paaa!” That was all the baby said as he clung to Shiro.

He let Keith drain out the water in the tub and brought Akira to the nursery to get changed. He put on a special shirt over his onesie. It read: **“Best Big Brother Ever.”**

“Your daddy’s going to love this,” Shiro crooned to his son.

“Da-da!”

“Yes, sweetheart,” he grinned and gave him a kiss. “C’mon, let’s show Daddy.”

The weight of it all was starting to hit him once more as he walked down the hall with Akira in his arms. Despite how poor the timing was and how bad of an idea being pregnant again objectively was, Shiro knew deep down that he’d always have Keith’s support. Shiro watched him prepare Akira’s nighttime bottle and smile to himself while doing so, and Shiro knew that all of his anxiety was only that: anxiety.

“Hey.” Keith grinned once he noticed the two of them were out here. “Is he ready for his bottle?”

“Not quite yet,” he smiled. “Do you like his new shirt?” He held the baby closer.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cute on him,” he chuckled. “I like how it’s a bit bigger. It’d work well for summertime.”

“It would.” Shiro took a deep breath. “But what does his shirt say?”

Keith gently pulled on the shirt a little bit so he could read it better from Akira’s torso. “Oh, how cute. It says, ‘Best Big Brother Ever.’ Does Kosmo have a matching one, too?”

Oh, Keith. Sweet, oblivious Keith. “Babe… Kosmo’s older than Akira.”

He blinked. “Oh yeah. That’s right.”

Shiro smiled. “So, why would Akira wear a shirt that calls him a big brother?”

“Maybe because he…” Keith trailed off. It took him a moment, but once it clicked, his eyes grew wide while he moved closer to him. He shakily took one of his hands. “W-wait. Shiro… does this mean what I think it means?”

Shiro nodded, eyes starting to water. “Yes, Keith. I’m pregnant.” He guided Keith’s shaky hand to his middle, gently pressing it there.

“Shiro…” Keith quickly took the both of them in his arms. While burying his face in his shoulder, he started to cry. Shiro’s emotions bubbled up as well, and he held his little family while he broke down with him.

Keith couldn’t stop giving him kisses in between his tears. Akira wasn’t sure what was going on, but he touched his fathers’ faces as a form of comfort.

Shiro smiled while reluctantly pulling away, holding Akira tighter between them. “He is going to be a great big brother.”

“I-I can’t believe it…” Keith grinned, now both hands on Shiro’s belly. “You’re too good to me. Shiro…”

“I’m so happy to have a baby with you,” he assured him, kissing his forehead. “You’re an amazing dad. Our family’s growing.”

“Uh-huh.” He smiled and looked at him. “Oh, Shiro. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Shiro laughed as Keith gave him more kisses wherever he could reach, and Akira started giggling in their hold. Shiro felt so much more relaxed, and his fears were quickly forgotten.

\--

_“Baby?”_

_Shiro cleaned up around the_ apartment and heard Akira trail right behind him, reaching his arms up.

“Akira, you wanna say hi to the baby?” Shiro smiled and rested a hand on his belly. So far, his main focuses were on his Doctorate and making sure Akira understood the meaning of being careful before his sibling was born.

“Yaa! Papa, baby! Belly!”

He sighed happily and settled on the couch. “C’mere, darling.” He picked him up so he could sit beside him. “Say hi. Give them kisses.”

Akira immediately hugged his round belly, giggling in delight. “Baby, baby, baby!”

At now five months pregnant, Shiro was juggling a lot in preparation for the new arrival. Akira was learning more words and loved exploring, so Shiro had to constantly keep an eye on him. He had to get a new crib for the new baby and some supplies. He was very busy these past couple months.

“Baby, baby!” Akira kept cheering in a sing-song voice, and Shiro smiled fondly while he felt the baby kick in response. His son was taken aback and quickly pulled away. “…Papa?”

“it’s okay,” he crooned. “Akira, the baby’s kicking. That’s how they say hello.”

He gasped. “…H’lo? H’lo, baby?” When the baby kicked again, he squealed.

“Yes, sweetheart,” he grinned. “Give them a kiss? Gentle.”

“Mwah!” Akira kissed his belly and giggled. “Love baby, love Papa.”

“I love you too, darling.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Nana Krolia will be here soon. Daddy and I have to see the doctor again. Today we’ll find out if you’ll have a baby brother or a baby sister.”

His son didn’t quite understand all this yet, but he was still excited. He was just happy because his papa was so happy.

Keith arrived home from work a few moments later. Krolia was going to be here soon.

“Da-da!” Akira shimmied himself off the couch and ran over to Keith on wobbly legs.

“Hey little man!” he grinned and held him in his arms. “How was your day?”

“Baby said hi!” he giggled.

“They did?” Keith’s face lit up as he walked over to the couch with the toddler in his arms. “The baby kicked?”

“Mhm.” Shiro smiled softly. “They said hello to Akira. They love their big brother.”

“He’s an excellent big brother,” Keith insisted and kissed their son’s cheek.

“Da-da! Yay, Da-da!” Akira giggled while they nuzzled each other.

Shiro felt the baby kick again and grinned. He slowly hoisted himself up, holding his belly. It was then that he felt a slight cramping. Those were normal these days. He was hoping that Dr. Ryner would give him some answers, for this was something that he never had with Akira. He also hadn’t mentioned these pains to Keith. They weren’t enough to completely debilitate him, after all.

He checked a text on his phone. “Krolia’s in the parking lot. Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna change.” Keith gave him a kiss and reluctantly put Akira down before heading back in the master bedroom to change.

After Krolia arrived, the couple went to the appointment together. They had an ultrasound to start with, as well as a consultation with Dr. Ryner about what the results of it were and where they could go from here. He knew he should tell her about his pains, but he also didn’t want anything to ruin his chances of carrying his baby to term.

At the ultrasound, Shiro was so excited. He held his mate’s hand and kept his eyes glued to the screen. This was always his favorite part—seeing his child while they were still growing inside him. Sooner or later, his baby appeared on the screen, their tiny form still and their heart beating strongly.

“There they are,” Dr. Ryner grinned. “Everything’s looking great so far.”

Shiro smiled and sighed in relief. “That’s great to hear.”

Keith kissed the Omega’s hand and kept his eyes on the monitor as well. He looked so excited to see them there.

“Would you like to know the baby’s sex?”

“Absolutely,” Shiro insisted. “Keith?”

“Male or female, I just want them to be happy and safe,” Keith assured. “But yes, I’d really like to know too.”

The doctor smiled at them. “Well, you two are going to have a happy and safe baby girl.”

“A girl?” Keith’s face lit up. “The baby’s a girl?”

Shiro happily nuzzled him. “I’ve always wanted a daughter.”

“Congratulations,” Dr. Ryner smiled. “Just give me a few moments now, and we’ll continue with the rest of our appointment.”

Shiro nodded his head before he and his mate shared a kiss. They were both just so happy. Nothing could ruin this moment.

“Oh…” Dr. Ryner’s tone was a little less cheerful now. “Dr. Shirogane, you do remember that we talked about your birth canal being weakened, right?”

“W-well yeah, you said that my reproductive organs would all be weakened,” Shiro chuckled. Now wasn’t the time for her to sound grim.

She sighed and then pointed at the screen. “Just out of view of this ultrasound is your cervix. As you know, Akira’s birth caused some damage. These marks here are scars. They’re small, but even a small scar can affect the strength of your birth canal.”

He bit his lip. “What’s going on? Why are you telling me this?”

“Have you been feeling pains?” she asked gently. “Even just standing up after sitting down for a while, does it feel like there’s cramping? Do you get really dizzy?”

He gulped and nodded his head.

“Shiro,” Keith frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

Shiro kept his head down for a moment. “I-I don’t know. I just didn’t want anything bad to happen with the baby.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we know now,” the doctor assured him. “Dr. Shirogane, because of your last delivery’s complications, your body may not have the energy you’ll need to give birth naturally. In fact, if you’re having these pains right now, you’ll need to be on bed rest right away. We can’t risk any more damage, as this can also give you other major health problems. All of them will cause complications with your delivery and the baby. Hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor… I worry that if we don’t treat this like a high risk and take extra precautions, there’s a chance that you and the baby may not survive a natural birth.”

Shiro started to pale. What did this mean for this child? What if he couldn’t do this? What if he lost his child? He couldn’t bear the idea of this possibly being a stillbirth, or that she’d suffer other developmental problems by being premature. All of his fears were coming back to the surface. Shiro looked away from Keith, already feeling uneasy and guilty.

“So, what happens now?” Keith asked carefully.

She sighed. “I know it’s not exactly ideal for Omega births, and this carries its own risks, but I’ll have no choice but to perform a C-section come due date. Recovery time will be longer, but I assure you that it’ll be less life-threatening.”

Shiro’s eyes started to water. At least they could keep her… but how did Keith feel about this?

“The less life-threatening this is, the better.” Keith looked down at him and rubbed his shoulder. “Right, Shiro?”

He gulped and nodded his head. “Mhm.”

“Okay…” Dr. Ryner looked at him. “Dr. Shirogane, I know this is difficult. But we caught these issues early. You can still carry her to term, but in order to do that, you have to be very careful. It’s still early, but you’ll need to go on leave as soon as possible and stay in bed.”

His lip quivered as he nodded. “So, she’s gonna be okay?”

“As long as you follow doctor’s orders, yes.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Now, after we get these pictures printed for you, go home and get some rest. Continue following your diet, and make sure you’re not straining yourself.”

“Okay.” He hoisted himself up, and Keith was quick to help keep him balanced. That made him feel even worse. His mate shouldn’t have to be constantly worried about his safety. He did this to them.

Keith was still so excited about finding out the baby was a girl, but Shiro had a heavy fog over him. Before coming to this appointment, he was so excited and doting over their unborn child, ready to continue with this new chapter in his life. But now, all those fears he kept repressed were haunting his every conscious moment. They were taunting him and reminding him how much he’d fucked up. Keith could be keeping a polite face now so that he appeared calm and collected, but Shiro knew that he had to be upset, too. Did he resent Shiro in some way for keeping all this from him? Should Shiro have even kept the baby at all?

As they drove home, he curled up best he could, given his seatbelt. Tears hadn’t stopped rolling down his cheeks since Dr. Ryner’s warning. He was scared out of his mind and felt like a huge fuck-up.

“Shiro?”

He sniffled and tried to ignore Keith. He didn’t want to hear about how upset with him he was right now.

“Shiro, I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me about this stuff,” he said. “You didn’t tell me that you had health risks when you were pregnant with Akira, and you’re not talking to me again. I’m here to help you, Shiro. Why do you keep bottling this stuff up?”

“I-it’s just hard…” he whimpered. “I’ve always had to be strong.”

“You’re _very_ strong, Shiro,” he sighed. “Your health is so important to me. What if we never knew about this? What if you didn’t tell Dr. Ryner that you were in pain? How do you think I’d feel if you died giving birth? How would Akira feel? The baby…”

Shiro lost it. He couldn’t answer Keith. All he could do was cry and wait for them to arrive at home. He went straight to his bedroom, not talking to Krolia, not seeing Akira… He even shut out Kosmo, who was anxious to comfort him after seeing him so upset. He’d locked the door, hiding in bed and refusing to come out.

“Why did this have to be so hard?” he cried to himself, holding his middle. He wondered, for a fleeting moment, if he’d really made the right choice keeping the baby. His heart started breaking. If he knew that the baby could get very sick because of him, then he would’ve reconsidered it.

The room darkened as the sun set, and soon it was pitch black. All these hours passed by him as he lay there. He was very hungry but didn’t want to eat. All the guilt he felt kept him awake. Keith wasn’t allowed in the room.

After the next day came and went, and he was stuck in the pitch black room once more, Keith finally entered after coming home from work. Shiro had reluctantly unlocked the bedroom door before crawling back into bed. He was still a wreck, now starving and sleep deprived. His hygiene probably wasn’t the best, either.

Keith opened the door and silently stepped in. The only light in the room was from down the hall before the door was shut again, leaving them in darkness. Shiro heard him get changed, and his eyes started to water. He wanted to talk to Keith, but he’d kept himself shut away from everyone because he was afraid that his choices upset him. He was almost afraid to speak to him.

“…Shiro?”

He heard him say something for the first time today. He silently wiped his eyes.

“Shiro, I know you’re awake.” Keith stepped closer. “Sweetheart, you’ve barely moved. I know that Dr. Ryner said that you needed to stay in bed and rest, but this wasn’t what she met. And you know it.”

Shiro worried his lip and pulled the blankets tighter over himself. As he heard him speak, he realized how much he needed him right now. But, the fear…

“You need to eat something,” he murmured, his voice sounding a little stern. “You can’t be shutting yourself in like this and depriving yourself when you have the baby to think about. I know you’re upset, but don’t take it out on her.”

That didn’t help at all. He sniffled and looked away from Keith now. He _knew_ those things, but he just… He needed time to think.

“…I’m sorry.” Keith sounded really nervous now. “I’m not helping. It’s just—baby, you’re scaring me. I just want you to talk to me. That’s why I’m here. I was there for you while you did everything you could to take care of Akira, no matter how hard or how painful it was. So, seeing you like this scares me. What makes this time different? I want you to talk to me. Please.”

A whimper bubbled up in Shiro’s throat. He still couldn’t really look at him and curled up further into himself, holding his belly carefully. “I-I… I don’t know why you’re sorry. This was all my fault. I knew from the beginning that having another baby wasn’t a good idea. I knew there might’ve been risks. I worried about the timing. B-but I wanted you to have a child that’s _yours._ You did so much for Akira, so I wanted to do this for you. And everything’s been going wrong. I can’t give you the natural birth Omegas are known for. I can’t even guarantee anymore that she’s going to be okay.”

“Shiro…” As Shiro started to cry, Keith carefully sat on the bed. “Baby, don’t think like that. You’re not guilty of anything. You just wanted to have another baby. You have more strength than you realize, being able to go through this a second time when the first had its own host of problems and painful memories. I would’ve never asked you to do this again. So, you going through this now despite everything is _incredible._ I’m so grateful, Shiro.”

His breath hitched, watery eyes looking towards Keith. “B-but what about the experience? You deserved to have this natural birth with your child. I was worried you’d be jealous—”

“Jealous?” he frowned. “Shiro, that’s silly. And even if that natural birth stuff was important to me, I had that experience. With Akira. You know that even though Adam’s his biological father, I love that kid like he was my own. And I don’t care about that sacred Omega birth crap. You’re giving me a _child,_ and I don’t even know how to begin repaying you for this. Making sure you’re both safe is more important to me than a natural birth. I just care that you and our daughter are making it through this.”

He wiped his eyes. “You’re sure?”

“Of course,” he insisted, kissing his forehead. “After you gave birth to Akira, I thought you _were_ dying. That scared the shit out of me. But this time, at least I know you’re going to be okay. If anything, I’m way more comfortable with the idea of you having a C-section than you risking your life in childbirth.”

Shiro visibly relaxed. He reached for him so they could finally hug. He was self-conscious about his hygiene when Keith returned the affection, but even if that was an issue, Keith didn’t let go. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy. I’m just… worried about the experience.”

“Don’t be,” Keith murmured and gave him a kiss. “I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise.”

Shiro nuzzled closer to him. “I’m so sorry, Keith. I’m sorry I kept all this from you.”

“I forgive you,” he insisted. “Just show me that you’re sorry by taking care of yourself the _right_ way from now on. Clean yourself up. Eat all of your meals. _Sleep.”_

“Okay, I will,” Shiro smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Keith grinned and held his belly just as they both felt a little kick. “It sounds like she’s happier now, too.”

“She is.” He grinned. “I want you to name her, Keith.”

“Yeah?” Keith carefully helped him up. “It’s a tough decision. I’ll have to think of a very good one. Why don’t you shower, and I’ll order your favorite dinner?” he insisted. “Akira really misses you. I didn’t tell him yet that the baby’s a girl. I want you to be there with me, so we can tell him together.”

“Okay.” He held his hand for a moment longer before reluctantly starting to take care of himself. He still had his fears, but with Keith talking him through his harsh slump, he felt like he could conquer through them. The journey was going to be long, but now he was more mentally prepared. He felt sure of himself now that Keith was guaranteed to be by his side, like always.

\--

_Bed rest sucked. He hated sitting_ in bed and doing nothing. At most, he was able to finish his thesis for his Doctorate from his bed. It was such an immense achievement, but it came at the cost of being unable to do even the most basic of tasks. Just taking care of Akira on his own was out of the question, and that was something that really upset him.

His mom temporarily moved in, once he hit his third trimester. She was tending to all his cooking and cleaning, and she watched Akira for most of the day. Krolia was also here every day to check on them and walk Kosmo. He was so grateful for all their help.

“It’s all finished just in time for Commencement,” Shiro finally said with a grin. “It’ll soon be official! In five weeks’ time, I will be known as Dr. Takashi Shirogane, M.D.”

“Congratulations!” His mom smiled and gave him a hug. “Oh, Kashi, you worked so hard.”

“I know,” he grinned. “That’s one benefit to this whole bed rest thing. My focus has been on my schoolwork.”

“Good for you.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Has Keith picked a name out for the baby yet?”

He shook his head. “He’s worried that if he did, then it wouldn’t be right for her. It took him forever to name Kosmo.”

“Oh dear,” she chuckled. “He’d better pick one soon. You’re ready to pop.”

He bashfully nodded. “I think we’ll have plenty of time. Akira arrived late, after all.”

“I know, but not every pregnancy’s the same. Your due date is in a week, but it can happen any day now.”

“I wouldn’t worry so much about it,” he insisted. In all honesty, this pregnancy he was trying to push back as far as possible. He felt some more false labor pains and winced while sitting up. They were getting worse and a little more intense. “M-mom, can I have a hot water bottle again? These cramps are really hurting.”

“Sure.” She watched him closely. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he smiled. “Don’t worry. Just some pain.”

“Okay…” His mom was reluctant to leave the room.

Shiro slumped back when the cramping was over. He started to wonder if he really was in labor, but it was still a little bit early. Dr. Ryner even expressed some concern about things moving along faster than their induced due date, since she didn’t want to rush the surgery.

Unfortunately for Shiro, her concerns were proven correct, and his body had different plans.

As soon as the sensation happened, Shiro was on high alert.

“Mom?!” he called out from the bed. “Mom, come here!”

She rushed back in a moment later, holding the hot water bottle. “Shiro, what happened?”

“My water broke,” he gasped. “I-I must’ve not really been paying attention. I thought it was false labor!”

Her eyes widened. “I’ll call an ambulance and stay home with the baby.”

“O-okay,” he panted. “And call Keith!”

If he thought his pains were intense before, they increased by double. He didn’t quite remember his labor with Akira being this painful, but he knew that this little one was also a special case. With how much weaker his body was, he was afraid. He made sure Dr. Ryner was called, and he anxiously waited for an ambulance.

He let out another startled cry as he felt a harsh contraction, quivering in the bed while trying to breathe through it. He didn’t realize how loud he’d cried until his son came rushing into the bedroom.

“Papa hurt?” Akira gasped and tried climbing on the bed.

“N-no, sweetie,” he assured, taking deep breaths. “Papa’s fine. Your baby sister’s coming soon.”

“Baby?” he grinned and reached up more.

“Yes, darling.” Shiro gently held his hand. He gave it a kiss. “Go back in the living room and play. I’ll be okay.”

“Hurt…” Akira pouted while giving Shiro’s hand a kiss in return.

Shiro felt so touched that his son just wanted him to be okay. “You’re so sweet, baby. I love you so much.”

“Love you, Papa.”

An ambulance was right outside for him once his next contraction began. He was worried that Akira would be distressed at the sight of EMTs taking him away, but he hoped his mom would help calm him down. With everything a little sped up but still on schedule, Keith should be at the hospital right when he’d arrive.

He was rushed into the delivery ward. Dr. Ryner didn’t want to waste any time.

“W-wait!” he whimpered. “Keith! I-I need Keith!”

“Dr. Shirogane, time is too precious for us to wait,” she warned. “You’re already starting to dilate.”

His eyes watered, and he shook his head. “B-but, Keith!”

Another contraction nearly made him scream, the pain much more intense that he ever felt. He got so scared, jumping when he heard someone barge in suddenly.

“Keith!” he cried in relief, reaching his arms out. Tears ran down his face as his mate held him.

“I’m here.” Keith crooned and slowly rubbed his back. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m right here.”

“I-it’s moving so fast,” he whimpered. “What if s-she doesn’t make it?”

They kissed each other, with Keith gently moving hair out of his face. “Don’t think like that. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

Dr. Ryner smiled at them once they were relaxed. “Okay, Dr. Shirogane. We’re about to take you in for Cesarean delivery now. Are you ready?”

He quickly nodded. “P-please. It’s starting to really hurt.”

“Don’t worry. We’re taking you to OR now.”

Nurses started to immediately wheel him there. What started scaring him more was that Keith wasn’t in his sight again. His lip quivered. “K-Keith?”

“He’ll be here in a moment,” Dr. Ryner assured, carefully tuning him on his side once they were in the sterilized room. “Now, this will feel like a little bee sting.”

He cried as another contraction coursed through him. “B-but I wanna wait for…” He trailed off when his mate arrived, and he reached out for him with a whine.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Keith was in scrubs from head to toe, a surgical mask covering his mouth and this gloves on his hands. “I’m here now. You’ve got this, my love.”

When Shiro told Dr. Ryner he was ready, he felt the prick of the large needle inject into his back. They settled back down, and after a couple moments, Dr. Ryner pulled a sheet over to completely cover him from his chest down.

“Dr. Shirogane, can you feel this?”

He felt something poke his belly. It felt like the back end of a scalpel. “Y-yeah…” He started growing nervous.

A couple moments passed. “Can you feel this?”

Nothing seemed to happen, so he quietly shook his head. “No.”

“Okay.” Shiro couldn’t see what was going on, but his doctor was ready to begin. “At most, you’ll feel numbed versions of some sensations from the procedure, but you should not feel any pain. If something hurts, tell us right away.”

“O-okay…” He took a shaky breath, quickly taking Keith’s hand. He looked at his mate nervously. “I-I’m scared.”

“You’re alright,” he promised gently. “It’s okay. I’m right here, Shiro. Just focus on me.”

He knew Dr. Ryner started the procedure. He could hear the most disgusting sounds and feel her _move_ things, but he didn’t know _what_ made those noises or movements. He squeezed Keith’s hand tighter. It didn’t hurt, but he felt unbelievably queasy.

“Keith…” His lip quivered. “I’m gonna be sick.”

A nurse quickly grabbed a bedpan for him, just in time for Shiro to weakly start retching into it. This wasn’t exactly how he wanted this birth to go at all, and he started feeling guilt again that this was disappointing Keith. When he looked at his mate in between bouts of nausea, however, Keith’s eyes shone with nothing but love.

Shiro couldn’t enjoy looking at him for long before he had to throw up again, tears in his eyes. This was just as terrifying as it was giving birth to Akira, and the source of his nausea was freaking him out the most. He started to cry.

“Shiro? Are you in pain?” Keith asked, a little panicked.

He shook his head and whimpered. “I-I’m just really scared.”

Keith carefully held his hand. “It’s okay. You’re doing such a great job, Shiro. It’s almost over. Then we’ll get to see her.”

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he smiled faintly. Keith’s words started to distract him from the nausea.

“Naomi.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Her name.” Keith was smiling from ear to ear. “I finally have a name for her. Naomi…”

“Naomi?” he repeated and sniffled. “I love it. Naomi Kogane…”

He blushed. “You don’t want to hyphenate our last names?”

“Kogane suits her best,” he purred, feeling relaxed.

Keith continued talking to him, taking his mind off of what was going on. “I hope she looks just like you.”

Shiro smiled weakly. “I hope she has your eyes. You’ve always had the most beautiful eyes.”

Keith grinned and kept close to him.

When he heard more strange sounds, Shiro’s stomach started to drop. He whimpered, and Keith helped him with the pan again.

“Just let it out, sweetheart. It’s alright,” he murmured.

Just when he was about to get sick again, he heard weak and tiny cries. Shiro was so out of it at this point that he didn’t completely register that he’d just finished giving birth.

“S-someone just had their baby,” he slurred. “When’s ours coming out?”

“Honey, that _is_ our baby,” Keith chuckled. “That’s Naomi.”

“It is?” His face lit up. “Oh, Keith. K-Keith, is she okay?”

He saw tears forming in Keith’s eyes as he was looking over. His smile was so big. “Have a look at her for yourself…”

The newborn baby was still a little messy as the nurse held her for Shiro to see, but she was so perfect. She had all her tiny fingers and toes, and everything was in the right place. Akira cried a lot louder when he was born, but Naomi showed her strength in how she squirmed in the nurse’s hold, fists tightly squeezed and body shivering. It brought tears to Shiro’s eyes, as well.

“Oh, look at her…” Shiro gasped. “Keith, she’s beautiful. And so small…”

He heard Dr. Ryner briefly say that everything went smoothly and he was being sutured back up, but he just wanted to hold his baby. He was still numb and couldn’t move, so Keith had to hold her after she was cleaned up. He had her so Shiro could see and reach for her, and his lip quivered more.

“Hi, baby girl…” he rasped and gently touched her arm. She still fussed, but Shiro didn’t mind. “Hello. I can’t believe you’re here.”

Keith smiled and pulled the mask down so he could kiss his daughter’s forehead. “Hi, princess. We’re your papa and daddy.” Keith could barely contain his emotions. He just looked so happy.

Shiro smiled warmly as they briefly shared a kiss. He was exhausted now, ready to go unconscious after a job well done.

\--

_The recovery was just as difficult_ as the last delivery. Shiro was upset that Akira wasn’t allowed to come visit, but it was for his own safety, as well as Naomi’s. Their room needed to stay as sterile as possible while they were on watch. But now, they were finally allowed to go home.

“I hope he’s okay,” he murmured as he was sitting beside the baby’s car seat. He rested with her and watched her sleep. “He looked so worried when he left.”

“Our parents have been taking care of him,” Keith assured. “He’ll be so happy to see us.”

They pulled up to their apartment building. Shiro smiled as Keith helped him out of the car. He was only allowed to hold Naomi until he fully recovered, so he was being careful. Keith only planned to bring the two of them in first and then their bags. Shiro needed a lot of help and patience getting up the stairs.

When they reached their apartment, Shiro could already hear his son playing inside. He smiled and looked down at his daughter. “Your brother will be so happy to see you. He’s been waiting for you.”

The three of them stepped in together, with Shiro’s mom gently wrapping her arm around him. “Hi, Kashi,” she crooned. “Oh, Shiro. Seeing her up close is so much better than a picture.”

Shiro grinned. “I know. She’s beautiful.” He held her closer to his chest.

He heard a loud squeal and looked up, eyes shining as his son quickly toddled closer to them.

“Papa, Papa! Daddy!”

Shiro held onto his mother as she helped him walk into the living room, and he grinned as he watched his son run up to them on his tiny legs.

“Hello, my darling,” he grinned. Naomi was still sleeping in his one arm. “Come with me in our room. You wanna see your baby sister?”

“Yeah!” Akira giggled and already started leading the way to the master bedroom.

Shiro’s mom helped him inside and onto the bed. Keith was right there to help take off Shiro’s shoes as he situated himself with a wince.

“How bad does it hurt?” Keith crooned.

“It’s uncomfortable,” he whispered. “Can you get my medicine, please?”

“Up! Up!”

Akira reached for Keith, who happily picked him up and rested him on the bed. “Careful, little man. Having a baby’s a lot of hard work, so Papa’s very tired.” He then looked at Keith. “I’ll make sure to grab them in the first set of bags, okay?”

“Thank you,” he hummed and relaxed.

“Papa…” Akira was smiling as he crawled closer to him on the bed.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Shiro crooned. He carefully held Naomi, keeping her propped up on a pillow. Kosmo jumped up and settled by Shiro’s legs with his head resting on his paws.

“Baby…” Akira watched the newborn fuss a bit in her sleep.

“Yes, darling.” Shiro smiled. “This is your baby sister, Naomi. See how tiny she is?”

Akira giggled. “Nah-mee!”

“Shhh,” Shiro smiled while gently scolding him. “Yes, but she’s sleeping, Akira… Do you wanna say hi?”

His son looked really shy, but he waved at her. “Hi, Nah-mee.”

He grinned. “Do you wanna give her a kiss? Just remember, gentle.”

Akira leaned close, arm wrapping over her tiny body. He gave her a tiny kiss on her forehead, and it was enough to make Shiro’s heart melt.

The toddler flinched back when Naomi suddenly sneezed. “B’ess you,” he gasped.

She started to fuss more and whine, which made Akira sit right up.

“Papa?” he whimpered. “Nah-mee’s sad…”

“It’s alright. We’ll take care of her,” he assured him and gathered her up in his arms once more. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” He gently cradled her while she cried. “Oh, I think you’re hungry. Yes, you are. It’s been a couple hours.”

“I’ll make a bottle for her,” his mother assured as she stepped out.

“Wanna help,” Akira said and reached up.

“Hm?” Shiro looked over. “You do?”

He nodded. “Mey-Mey said ‘help.’”

“Aww, of course you can help.” He smiled and beckoned him closer. “Mey-Mey’s coming back with her bottle, but she’s still really sad. Can you tell her it’s okay?”

Akira shifted closer and settled near Naomi on Shiro’s lap. He rubbed her head, Shiro intervening every so often when his hand was a little too close to her soft spot.

“No no. Don’t cry, Nah-mee. Don’t cry.”

He thought he was going to end up crying. Akira was so precious!

Both his mom and Keith came in at the same time. Keith brought his medicine and a water bottle for him, which Shiro was so grateful for. His mate helped him take it while his mom stood on standby with the bottle of formula.

Naomi’s cries finally stopped when Shiro began feeding her and holding her close to his chest all the while. Akira rested against him too and watched.

“Oh, my two babies…” He gave them both kisses on their foreheads. “My wonderful children.”

Keith leaned close to happily give him a kiss. “You’re such a good dad, Shiro.”

Shiro tiredly nuzzled him with a smile. “I love you.”

\--

_“I’m nervous.” Shiro was smiling through_ his anxiety.

Akira was holding Keith’s hand. In the Alpha’s other arm, Naomi was snuggling in her father’s hold.

“That’s okay,” Keith assured him. “We’re all here to cheer you on. You’ve earned this, baby.”

He took a shaky breath and blushed. “Y-yeah, but still.”

“Don’t worry about a thing.” Keith kissed his lips. “Good luck, baby. Now, get your diploma.”

“Yay, Papa!”

Shiro smiled and stepped back. Akira was waving happily, and Shiro couldn’t help but wave back as he walked away. He kept looking back at his little family, and a few students noticed and thought his son was so cute.

“Awww!” one of them grinned.

An old colleague that wasn’t in his major looked surprised. “Shiro, you never told us you had a kid!”

Shiro blushed and shrugged his shoulders. “The inner circles knew. I actually have two kids.” He smiled proudly. “My mate’s holding our baby girl.”

The same student from earlier was swooning. “How adorable! I’m going to cry!”

He grinned as he stood in line. The procession began to play, and his feet already ached a little from all the walking he’d done today. It was worth it, though, to get to this moment. He could see Keith grinning and Akira standing in the chair next to him looking for his papa. Shiro’s parents were near them recording a video, Krolia holding flowers. Even Adam’s parents were there to congratulate them, happily keeping an eye on Akira.

They had to go through the whole alphabet and by degree, so he was one of the last people to go up. It felt like he was waiting for an eternity. The dean read the list of names, and he was hoping that he would pronounce his name right for this important moment in his life.

“Takashi Shirogane, Doctor of Medicine.”

Thank goodness.

Shiro happily walked up and shook hands with Dr. Holt as well as the Dean, taking pictures as well as receiving his new robes. But the smile on his face wasn’t from practice.

It was because he could hear his young son in the crowd above everyone else, squealing and cheering from his seat.

“Papaaa! Papa! Yayy, Papa!”

He felt tears in his eyes as he walked off with grace to let the next person go up. Everything that he had done up to this moment was for that little boy. Everything from here on out was now for him and his baby girl. They were all so proud of him, and the one thing that held their happy family together was his mate, who eagerly waited for another chance to congratulate him.

At the end of the ceremony, his family was right there waiting for him. Akira ran to him and hugged his legs, and his eyes were shining as he held him close. He carefully kneeled down while keeping his balance.

“Yay, Papa!” Akira giggled, and Shiro couldn’t stop crying.

“Yes, my darling,” he crooned and kissed his cheek. “This was all for you, Akira. My special boy…”

Akira still tightly held his legs as Shiro stood up, smiling at Keith as he’d moved closer. He gave him a slow kiss, smiling against his lips

“I’m so proud of you, Shiro,” Keith grinned. “I love you so much.”

He giggled and nuzzled him. “I love you too.”

He felt a tiny hand pat his arm and looked down, grinning at seeing Naomi eagerly reach for him. He carefully took her in his arms and held her close.

“Hello, my sweet girl. Your Papa’s a fancy doctor now,” he crooned and gave her a kiss on the nose.”

Naomi patted his cheek with her hand, and Shiro smiled while nuzzling her.

More of his loved ones gave him overwhelming praise, but all that was on his mind right now was that he was going to provide more for his children. That was all that ever mattered to him. He would never had made it this far in his journey without Keith, either, and he was proud to be a parent alongside him.

And every hurdle he went through, every struggle he faced, and all the pain, loss, love, and passion that he felt. Everything leading up to be the proud father he was today was how he finally ended up here.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/cryptic_gabriel)


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